


A Steady Rain

by xdarlingnickyx (Sonny)



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Comment Fic, Drama, Extreme A/U, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kink Fill, Knotting, M/M, Omega Verse, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-31
Updated: 2012-02-08
Packaged: 2017-10-30 10:14:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 59,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/330626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sonny/pseuds/xdarlingnickyx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When omegas go into heat, they have to be knotted or it is fatal. All omegas go into heat at puberty, but then very rarely after that. They always have to have a knot in them during their heat or it is very painful. Jensen's heat starts when he is far away from the pack. He's scared he's gonna die, and just when he feels the pain's getting too much, Jared, an alpha, finds him. Jared takes pity on him and decides to knot him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> from **the take_the_knot comment meme - Request - Jensen/Jared, Alpha!Jared, Omega!Jensen, heat, fuck-or-die** (Anonymous) When omegas go into heat, they have to be knotted or it is fatal. All omegas go into heat at puberty, but then very rarely after that. They always have to have a knot in them during their heat or it is very painful. Jensen's heat starts when he is far away from the pack. Maybe some other omegas kidnapped him and left him in the middle of nowhere because he's too pretty? He's scared he's gonna die, and just when he feels the pain's getting too much, Jared, an alpha, finds him. Jared takes pity on him and decides to knot him. Bonus points if Jared teases Jensen and leaves him empty cause Jenny's so pretty when he cries and begs
> 
> **** warnings [ kinks ]** :** Alpha!Jared ; Omega!Jensen ; heat ; fuck-or-die ; knotting ; spontaneous orgasm/involuntary orgasm ; loss of control ; intimate bathing ; dominant/submissive [ light ] ; barebacking/raw sex ; biting/nipping/suckling/licking ; first time [ knotting ] ; multiple orgasms in sex/knotting

[ ](http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/9/lunapic1327009055109248.jpg/)

Jared pulls into the Highway 58 truck stop, settling his bike in the designated spot at the front of the building, along with the other Harleys. His scuffed boot-tip kicks out the stand as he leans the weight of the bike to the left, throwing his right leg high as he hops off the elongated seat. He takes off his shades, pushing them upward to hold his bangs from covering his eyes, then he opens his saddle bags to unsnap out of gloves and pulls out a bandana. He trades shades for bandana to keep his long locks from hiding his face; he ties the corners of the material at the nape of his neck. Last thing to do is to take out his chain wallet and hook it to a loop on the waist of his jeans.

After gassing his bike, it was now time to take care of himself: drain his bladder, feed his belly, and possibly check out the locals inside the diner to see if he can arrange for a "hook up". Hell, he'd even settle for a quickie in the restroom, if the prey was ready and willing. It was approaching dusk, just enough light left to be sure one wasn't bedding down with a dud.

Jared had been traveling most of the day, on his way back to his camp. Not really a "home" as much as a way-lay station between Point A and Point B. He had to be as far enough from his old pack before the pain started, the deep agony that made him yearn for the past and massive amounts of do-overs—-a little too late at this point. He has no true regret, except not finding a mate before he had been kicked out, so he could have the companionship and a ready-made bed partner. A pack member to take the "bitch" seat on his bike.

Inside the restroom, Jared takes a surprisingly short piss, shaking off the excess liquid as he looks over the various scribbled words—-new ones he's never seen before—-over the tiled wall above the row of urinals, some along the sides and in between the mirrors at the sinks. He washes his face and hands, finger-brushes his teeth, then he's off to the automatic hand-dryer. As he stands there, reading more wall graffiti, he keeps his eyes peeled for anyone entering that might give him a look or a sign—-a come hither to immediate sex. He doesn't feel the urge to fuck or knot as much as he just needs to fill his empty stomach, then maybe have a few slices of Shelby's homemade pies.

The truck stop diner isn't crawling with locals like usual, mostly wandering visitors to the nearby touristy spots. When the innocents come out to play, the wolves stay away. Shelby's is your typical catch-all of everything blowing in from the surrounding towns. Even Alpha rejects like Jared.

He grabs his leather jacket, strolling out of the restroom, twisting to a hard right, heading into the front of the diner. There's a hostess podium, but no one is usually there. Besides, Jared likes to sit and eat his meals at the counter. He drops his jacket on one stool, while taking another; he likes giving the impression he's part of a pair, just waiting for the other to show. Curious prey often find Alphas like him more enticing that way. As he drops down on a sparkly red cushion, he lifts a hand to wave at Shelby through the huge chef window cutout. Shelby tips his spatula to Jared, already off to prepare his "usual". 

Jared looks around at the other customers, trying to see who was working with Shelby tonight. He sees the mane of red hair first; her fine shapely ass bent over, looking plump and tight in that red-checkered apron uniform dress. On anyone else that much red on one body would be too much, but somehow Danneel—-Danni—-manages to always make the strangest outfits work in her favor. As she unbends to stand, she glances over her shoulder to notice Jared; she has a thousand-watt smile for him as well as a wink and an air-kiss. She motions she will be right over to take his order, get him anything.

Jared swivels back around to upturn his cup for coffee, dragging over the box of sugar packets. From behind the swinging kitchen door comes Sandra—-Sandy—-who looks like she's about to fall down off her feet from exhaustion. She had to be near the end of her shift; ten hours ago Jared bet she had glowed like Danneel does now.

"...hey, Sandy..."

Sandra carries over the coffee carafe for Jared, putting down a ceramic ring, letting Jared use what little was left at the bottom once she filled his cup. "...evenin', Jay..." She rubs at her temple, pulling out her receipt pad to do her tallies for the end of her shift.

"Rough day?"

"Somethin' like that." Sandra works her mouth, forcefully plopping torn tickets out of her pocket down like she's pissed about something.

Jared doctors his coffee the way he likes it as he glances over at the seething Beta waitress. "I know it isn't protocol...but I'm not goin' anywhere, anytime soon...an' I'm a good listener."

Sandra smiles, blushing as she dips her head. She is already mated to her Alpha, but she's always felt a weird pang toward Jared, like he'd be a good pack member to have on your side. She knows his backstory and still manages to like him. He likes to play as if he's a roughneck knothead but she knows how sweet and gentlemanly he truly can be. "It's really not anythin'—-at least I don't think so, but..." Sandra leaves her stack of receipts to stand across from Jared. "...see...it's my cousin—-an Omega." She rolls her eyes, already annoyed. "...we grew up together, like siblings, but I swear, Jay...it's like he's a newbie 'cub' when it comes to his heats. Kid doesn't 'get it', you know. Can't be playin' with that shit."

Jared looks outside the wall of windows around the diner to the disappearing sun. "Is he not indoors or something?"

"He's out with some friends. Ma just called me an', literally, begged me to go look for his scrawny ass an' haul him home." Sandra shakes her head. "She's so scared he'll hit this second heat since puberty, but...well, you know...Omegas can't be pullin' this kind of shit, bein' far from the pack house.”

"He mated yet?" Jared believes he knows who Sandra is talking about; there's a good-looking young man he recalls nearly glued to the Beta's side years ago when he and Sandra would hang out in the same circle of wolf packs. 

"No...I'm not sure what's wrong with him. He just wants to hang with all his creepy friends...other Omegas, with some random Betas. I guess it's, like, a 'cub' life crisis or somethin', when you ain't got a degree...fucked up in college, and don't have no job...no direction an' you mooch off family—-and the pack sucks it up 'cuz he's Omega..."

"He could die, Sandy...” Jared dances his eyebrows up and down, giving a curious tilt to his head. An Omega's second heat is nothing to joke about, nor is the status of an Omega. “I think that almost gives him a license to be a fuck-up."

"mmm-yeah...whatever." Sandra hates the way everyone uses as that as some excuse to write off all of a rebelling Omega's bad choices. "I jus'—-he came in to the diner, right as my shift was starting, told me where he'd be an' that he'd try to be back home by 4pm...an' Ma just called to say he ain't there."

“Who'd he go out with?” Jared is being genuine in his interest because he knows a lot of the pack gangs that roam in between towns. They often prey upon young frustrated Omegas to encourage them to leave their old packs to come be a part of a new, different pack life where they'll be better appreciated, which is a bold-faced lie.

"...wellwellwell...howdy-do, cutie..." Dannel has made her way over, not liking the fact that all of Jared's attention was shifting to Sandra. She removes the Alpha's jacket from the stool to slide herself in beside him. She always loves how warm he is despite short sleeves that show his bugling muscles and the type of clothing he wears around the last Fall months of the season like he's clinging to the last dregs of Summer. The smell of leather, spicy cologne and pure Alpha tends to send her body into arousal, which is strange since she's human, not pack.

"...howdy, Red..." Jared allows his body to jolt from Danneel's elbow to his ribs. It's better to let the innocent get away with her not-so-subtle jealous ways than to keep attempting to curb her, like she's pack. He's used to Danneel's human ways and wiles, knowing she's still stubborn enough to play off like she's no different from him. Like now, as she tries to soothe over his thigh, then slips down between the inseam of his jeans.

“Subtle, she is not.” Sandra belts out with a glare, leaning on her elbow to the left. Danneel is notoriously jealous of any handsome male that prowls into the diner and doesn't immediately kiss her feet, especially when it's for someone as dowdy and plain-looking as Sandra is right now.

Danneel tucks her arm through Jared's, curling around then caressing over his flexing biceps. “...who were we talkin' about?” She wrinkles her perfect brow as if she's always been in this conversation, just not paying attention.

Sandra lifts her chin, prepared to defend her family if Dannel should make a snide comment. “...my cousin...Jen.”

“...oh—-yeah...” Danneel already has her perfectly bored look about her striking features. “What about him?” She lays her head down on Jared's rounded shoulder joint, petting along the shape of the shirt sleeve to settle at the bend of the elbow.

“I have to go look for the asshole. He was in here—-earlier...with the pack that runs with Justin...”

“Hartley?” This piques Danneel's interest way-too much. 

“...yeah...” Sandra sighs, narrowing her eyes on her co-worker. “...why am I not surprised you know Justin's little inner pack circle.”

“Sandra...” Dannel has the sense to appear outraged with a hand to her upper chest. “...you know I'm friendly with all my customers.”

“...sha'!...'friendly'? I'd love to hear your exact definition of what that entails.”

“...well, he did invite me to his pack party.”

“Who did?”

“...Justin.”

“When?”

“Today.”

“How?” Sandra shakes her head as she stands straight, arms folded over her middle. “You weren't even here when Justin—-with my cousin and his bug-eyed friends, came in. This was before your shift.”

Now Danneel is defensive, crossing her own arms. “What are you talkin' about? They were just here...” She thumbs a gesture behind her to where the line of unleaded and diesel pumps are outdoors. “Gassed up their truck at Pump 5.”

Sandra immediately goes still. “Didja see Jen?”

“No...well, I don't know. I was kinda more interested in Justin...an' his new best buddy...this Alpha who—-”

Sandra furiously reaches back to untie her waitress pouch. “Jesus!H!Christ!...I knew it!” She slams her apron down to snatch up her stack of pink receipts. “...dumb-ass 'mega...makes a livin' hell outta my life...I swear.” Sandra shakes her head quite roughly like she's about to shed some forced tears she's been trying to hold back.

Jared has been watching the Beta all this time; he's not used to seeing this fired-up hellcat version. “Was he all right when you saw him, Sandy?” He seems to be the only one who's feeling worry and concern for the Omega, and it's not even at an intense level of true care or concern as if he actually knew this cousin of Sandra's.

“...uh, yeah, yeah...” Sandra wipes hard over both eyes, trying to prove she's not as affected by her cousin Possibly being in danger. “...he didn't show signs of changing or being any different...” It's tough for her to recall because she acted about as annoyed with him as usual, not even giving him a second or third glance as he talked to her.

“...look...” Jared can tell that Sandra is more concerned than she wants to admit to, and it's ripping her apart inside because she does have her own life to lead with her own pack—-her Alpha and their home together—-and then she keeps being dragged backward to help a frightened mother Beta and a cousin Omega whom she's been trying to cut ties with...obviously. At least that's what Jared believes since this “Jen” is running with Justin Hartley's wanna-be wolf pack gang. “...if they left him out there, and he's just now hitting his heat...hopefully his instincts kick in. He might start searching for someplace warm...somewhere to nest, with food nearby. He would probably be overheating, so he'll try to find water...someplace cool...” Jared narrows his gaze directly on Sandra, not even paying attention to how hard Dannel is staring at his profile right now. “Do you remember where they were headed?” He's long since jumped off the stool, donning his leather jacket and is now fixing his collar to not tuck into his neck; he flips his hair out from getting stuck underneath to snag.

“...direction of the salt mines off Interstate 465...”

Danneel breaks out of her trance to nod her head adamantly, only once she sees how serious Jared is about finding Sandra's cousin. “...yeah—-uh, they had to have gone to the mines or drive through them. The truck's front and back wheel-wells were caked in salt residue.”

Sandra and Jared both look at one another, impressed by the big sleuthing skills on Danneel.

Danneel holds up her hand, like she's swearing to God. “hey...I always check out a guy's ride. Whoever Justin had taggin' along—-this major a-hole Alpha...drove one sweet-ass navy blue Camaro. Both cars were covered in salt.”

“Can I get my stuff 'to-go', Sandy?” Jared starts pulling out his wallet, unsnapping the leather clasp.

Sandra stretches her hand across the counter toward the tall Alpha. “Put that away, Jared. On the house.” She swallows down the bile collecting in her throat. “If you find Jen for me...I'll owe you my firstborn 'pup'...” Sandra wanders off to put Jared's meal in a take-out container and plastic bag.

Jared tilts his head to look over at Danneel with a mock-pout on his face as he tucks thumbs into his back pockets. “...sorry I hafta leave so soon...” He's not as upset as she's starting to appear.

“...mmm...me too. I miss you when you're not around.” Dannel has spun around in the stool, leaning back rather seductively on the counter, while crossing one leg over a knee. “I always forget an' then I see you...an' gah, that ache is back...” She caves her body in like she can still feel the guttural ache she's felt after coming from one of their random trysts.

Jared slides his hand under the red hair to cup the neck, then nape. “...you know you only crave the knot...it isn't me that makes you scream for more...”

Danneel sits up straighter on the stool, reaching up to touch up the things he's already done: fixing the jacket collar, untucking hair to then caress her red nails over his scruffy jaw. “...seeing this face above, or behind me...” She bites down on a corner of her cherry red lips. “...makes it a bit more palatable.”

Jared keeps his head steady, letting Danneel be the one who tries to sweep in and tempt him to kiss her. “...you off tomorrow night?” He's fascinated by how good of a lipstick she uses because she's bitten her lips countless of times and her teeth are still perfectly white.

“No.” Danneel slides up and down along his chest wall because Jared is still so damn tall; she likes to be somewhat eye-to-eye with the men she's with. “This is my double shifts week. Won't have a day off 'til next week.”

“awww...too bad...” Jared feels bad for her, but not for himself. “...I woulda rocked your world, Danni...” He likes tauting her to a reaction, like batting around a toy mouse.

“...mmm, you always do, lover...” Dannel snaps her teeth at Jared, releasing a snarl of some kind, closing her eyes as she gets a mere swat across her nosetip.

Sandra wanders back over with the plastic bag and a large coffee for Jared. “...okay...here's this an'...” She pulls out a blank notepad, taking out her ink pen to start writing. “...here are some numbers. The minute you find him—-if you do...smack his ass good for me, but, uh...call me...” It's like she's debating whether she wants to be further involved or not. “I'll know how to then reach Ma, calm her down.” A dark eyebrow quirks up as Sandra keeps going on to immerse herself in this situation with her cousin. “If you do find him, and you can't reach me for some reason...here's the pack house phone number where he stays when he's not at home.” She rips off the single sheet of notepaper, folding it in half to pass over to Jared. “I'm sure you Alphas can arrange exactly how to handle this...uhm, thing, if he is in heat or if he's just drunk and lost...needing to find a way back into town...”

Jared slides the paper the rest of the way across the counter, pausing when Sandra grabs for his wrist; he pats her hand in a comforting fashion. “He'll be fine. Even if he is in heat...he won't be too far into his throes, or fever-fits, at this early stage.” He can feel the intense glare from Danneel, wondering why he knows so much about an Omega's heat and what to do to tend to the pack member when it happens. “You need to be more worried if it happens to be three or four days past, and there isn't a sign of him anywhere.”

“...great...” Sandra swipes a hand over her face, leaning her chin on the shape. “I put some, uh...extra food in there—-things Jen likes...in case you do find him and you...or he...” She really doesn't know what to say or what to do, because she's was just about to give up on her cousin, but he keeps reeling her back in, doing stupid idiotic things like this to fuck-up his life.

“I'll know what to do, Sandy. Don't worry. I practically live off these roads. If he's out there, I will find him.”

“...thanks, Jared.”

“I'll call when I have a good update.” Jared turns to a disgruntled Danneel. “I'll come back soon, Red.”

“...you better, han'some...it's always my pleasure to serve you.” And Danneel does mean in the various ways Jared's warped mind takes the words.

Jared spins away to head out of the diner toward the front exit of the truck stop's building with a silly grin off one side of his mouth.

“...jesus , Danni...obvious much?”

==&&==&&==&&==

Jared had known it would be a dead end at the salt mines. He still had to check every open space, then the hidden ones locals only knew about. He had figured the Omega would mostly travel along a familiar road, but then, if the throes of heat had been hitting once sundown had arrived, he had probably looked for a place to nest or bed-down.

After nearly two hours of searching, Jared decides he'll ride back to his camp and at least eat some food, drink a nice cold beverage—-something quenching so he can re-energize for a long night ahead. He thinks about calling Sandra, but reconsiders until he has better news to report.

He retraces his mileage along Highway 58, turning at the road sign for San Marcos Falls. He's about five miles into the quaint little town before he turns off-road. The dirt path to his camp is mostly hard tire-treads of trucks and four-wheelers, but he can sniff this trail out with his eyes sewn shut. The tree coverage is denser, making it possible for a wide berth of flat ground. This is where Jared keeps his Air Streamer trailer: a 23ft silver-toned trailer he inherited from an older Alpha in a similar situation like his own. His truck is parked beside it. On the other side is his own little yard—-well, his main camp. He builds fires, puts up a tent and sometimes sleeps outdoors. He also hangs wash out here, being as he wasn't too far from the lake that San Marco Falls is situated near. He likes it here because no one bothers him and he doesn't have to bother anyone. He has been able to tap into the town's powerlines and water supply, making a nice, quaint home-away-from-home for himself.

The air has been growing quite chilly outside, so Jared will eat in the trailer. He parks his bike in front of the truck and hauls in his saddlebags, with the take-out plastic bag and the half-empty coffee cup. He's able to open the trailer door from the ground, hefting his tall, meaty frame up into the moonlit darkness. He knows exactly where he's heading, knowing the entire layout of his trailer from front to back. But as he goes to set down the take-out bag on the dinette table, it makes a crinkly descent to the floor. Immediately, he drops the saddle bags too, then moves in the direction of the switch to the overhead lights, setting the coffee down. He should know better about leaving his trailer unlocked, but it doesn't seem to matter being way—-out here, close to nowhere. Even if he locked the doors and windows, anyone who reached his camp would be desperate enough to break in, seeking warmth and shelter.

As he illuminates the front of the trailer, he finds the table having been stowed away into the wall, the long futon couch unfolded to be its full-sized shape. There's a slumbering form laying dead center of the tangle of thin sheets...a hunched back facing Jared, easy to see the person is having a fitful sleep as breathing is labored.

Jared has seen this reaction before; he knows it's an Omega's heat...and he's pretty certain that it's Sandra's cousin, though it's rare he's ever this lucky. Right as he's about to kneel on the mattress, the form stirs, unrolling from its curled position. Now Jared can see that the shape—-while rather on the too-thin side—-is tall, and the features look closer to Jared's age than a teenager. The throat produces moans, eyes blearing to try and open. Jared moves swiftly to shut the light off, but then, as the noises subside, the state of arousal picks up.

Laying on the left side, the body begins to rock to thrust, then turns over at an achingly slow pace to land on hands and knees. Upper body collapses to the mattress as the bottom remains raised in the air. A few more rolls of the hips and then the shivering starts. As the teeth chatter and arms attempt to hug the body, the quaking works its way down to the legs. The thighs shake intensely, almost rocking the body back and forth, and then the backside pushes out one final time. The muffled voice mumbles the cries into the pillows and sheets, the body timbering hard to the bed, laying flat with legs spread out. A soft groans expels and the form rolls to lay on the right side, facing Jared, back to the long window at the front portion of the trailer. 

As the room goes silent with only the soft snores and heavy breathing, Jared quietly slips toward the back of the trailer to step into his bedroom. Since he knows he won't have to go out and search for Sandra's cousin, he can undress and change into proper bed clothes, taking off most of his traveling clothes he wears when he's bike riding. He's thankful that he's on a low dose of suppressants, because if the Omega has gone through several throes, he can only imagine what the stench is like in the air. Jared would probably be knotting that hole; he's always horniest when he returns from a job on the road. But being far from the pack, on his own, he has learned that taking sups [ suppressants ] at a lower dose just kills his libido dead, and keeps him from pining for the rest of the pack members he hasn't seen in years. Doesn't mean that what he just witnessed hasn't turned him on in some minor way; it was actually pretty fucking erotic...even though the Omega had been dressed in his own clothes. 

God...the right kind of sex, too. An Omega. And a male Omega at that. 

Jared could have thought this was his Christmas and Birthday present all rolled into one. 

Jared licks his lips as takes off his worn t-shirt, leaving his chest bare and exposed for a little time. But he's hurriedly donning a thermal undershirt, then a thin plain button-down, rolling back the open cuffs to his elbows. Leaving on his black jeans, but taking off any accessories he wears for riding, like his leather belt, he empties his pockets onto the bed. He twists to sit down on the mattress, bending over to unlace his boots so he can slip his feet out, then take off the slightly drenched cotton socks.

It's as he's working the final boot off that he hears the new set of cries...

“...mmm, alpha...pleasepleasplease...knot me...stick your fuckin' knot in me, alpha, an' drip all your come inside me...”

Jared goes still, little quakes of his body churning at the cry for an “Alpha”. 

God...the right tone of voice for begging—-a mournful wail this side of a desperate plea.

He stays bent over his lap, elbows on his thighs as he stares down at the other end of the trailer to the futon bed. He sees two hands against the raised backside, attempting to spread apart the cheeks as the body bucks up and out, then the whole shivering thing begins again; the Omega's whole frame vibrates on the bed as he lays facedown, starting to draw up legs to curl into a tight ball of shame and guilt.

Jared swears he senses his own body reacting—-small vibrations that course through him and make his spine tingle. Looking down at his hands as they start to shake, he balls them into fists, turning wrists over to watch the blue veins pop and vanish. 

It's been such a long time since he's bed down with an Omega...especially a male one close to his age. When he's working on the road, or even taking the frequent “vacations” he does to just ride until the road he picks simply ends, he fucks random stranger pack members or humans—-mostly of the female variety, because he'd never fall in love to mate with them. If he ever chooses to mate, Jared knows the mate would be male. No question.

He sits on his bed, contemplating what to do as he rubs at his face, when he hears the new sounds of the Omega finally waking. Jared stares down the hall, watching in the dark; he knows the Omega won't be able to detect him. The Omega drags his weary body to the side of the bed, and as hands grip the mattress pad, and the body weaves and jolts to stay alert, a few light burps are let out as he tries to stand. Like he's testing his equilibrium and footing, then finding himself unable to take one step forward. There's a frustrated grunt through nostrils, as if the Omega has done this several times before and still he can't walk on his own to reach wherever he needs to go. So...right where the Omega stands at bedside, he moves to the snap and zipper of his pants...

Jared assumes that the Omega is attempting to get more comfortable, but it isn't long before he sees the hand delving inside underwear to pull a cock out, possibly to urinate. Jared shoots off the bed to stomp over to put an end to this crude moment, but then he watches as the body plops down, legs spreading wide as a foot sticks out to drag over a covered bucket [ 'cub' was fucking resourceful ] and he removes the lid to direct urine flow into the inside of the bucket. There's a huge sigh of relief as the sounds of the liquid stream steadies. The hand gives a jerk or two to the domed tip to get rid of excess urine. The cover is replaced on the bucket as a retching sound is made from sniffing the odor of concentrated piss.

Jared wonders if the Omega remembers how his heats had been from puberty, at 13-14, already aware of how incapacitated he can get. Or maybe there's a reason why he can't stand on his own and walk two feet to the toilet.

Then the Omega collapses backward, not even bothering to kick the closed bucket away, or put his cock back in, leaving his pants halfway down his spread legs. There must be some relief to cool air hitting his genital area and slipping down the split of his ass crack that gives some soothing relief.

Jared can only imagine how covered in slick those sheets are, not even fathoming that if the Omega has those types of spastic releases so close together, he's due for another in a few minutes. Jared can't bear to just watch anymore, he has to help or else he's going to go absolutely crazy-insane. In bare feet, he pads over to the tiny kitchenette, turning on a gas burner as he grabs the tea kettle to fill with water. He settles the kettle down, moving to the area where the dinette should be and reaches over to turn on a lamp emitting soft light. There's another lamp on the other side of the futon, but it's on a high shelf along the wall—-if the futon was a couch, it would be more easily accessible. Jared has to waddle on his knees to the switch, thankfully a toggle one he can catch with fingertips, from his long arm, and just tug on.

As Jared makes noises, shifting about on the futon mattress, the Omega shakes awake, but only lays there, like he's fighting through the haze of his mind—-what's real and what's fake. As Jared twists to crawl back off, he glances at the Omega, who has twisted his head around.

Half-lidded eyes squint at Jared from below. “...heyyy...” The Omega tries to lift onto his elbows. “...are you, uh...mmm—-Jay—-J-J-Jared...?”

Jared stares at the face looking at him, then down to the lowered pants and briefs with the exposed semi-hard-on. “...yeah...I'm Jared.” He tosses a sheet to cover the nudity, then he swipes up the handle of the “pee” bucket [ ...and whatever else might be in there ] with a flourish, shaking the trailer's structure as he stomps out; he'll take it outside to dump in his handmade sewage hole-in-the-ground. He brings the bucket over to the water hose, filling it with warm liquid and powdered soaps. Jared shivers a little as he wanders back inside the trailer, finding the Omega sitting upright with his clothes properly on. Even though he looks ill—-pale, weary and about to blow chunks—-the Omega smiles at Jared.

“I'm Jen...well 'Jen-sen'—-Jensen...I think you know my cousin, Sandy...works at Shelby's Diner at the Highway 58 truck stop.”

Jared glances at the boiling kettle, crossing arms to lean back on the counter ledge. “...yes...we grew up together.” He and Sandra are not the same age; he's at least three years older. But in school, and in town during school and summer, they ran around the same pack circles. Jared knows Sandra's mated Alpha fairly well; they were once best friends.

Jensen nods, giving off another smile as he blinks slow, then shuts his lids. “...she's always had a crush on you.” As he reopens his eyes, he drops his gaze to the floor, like he's slightly envious—-Betas and Omegas having such a simple camaraderie that Omegas just don't have with either pack status. “I'm sorry, man...for breakin' into your trailer, but...” Jensen swallows hard, rubbing hands together. “...once I knew where I was, I knew exactly where your camp—-this place—-was located.”

Jared nods his head to accept that reasoning. “The ones who need to know, know where I am. I'd like it to stay that way.” His tone has a rough edge to it, like he's showing dominance at the start so he can't be hoodwinked by an aroused Omega. He knows Jensen only through Sandra, and it hasn't always been a stellar image given to him. But it's different when Jensen is here, trapped in his trailer, somewhat at Jared's mercy.

“uh, sure, sure...I got it. I didn't tell any of the, uhm...friends I was with where I'd, uh...” Jensen seems to have a bit of difficulty talking, suffering hidden pain not visible to the naked eye.

Jared backs up to lean a hip on the oven/stove where the kettle simmers with a billow of steam rising in the air. “If you need to pee again, I'll help you. No more bucket.”

Jensen laughs very softly, keeping head bowed as he squeezes his eyes shut tight.

Jared frowns, simply because he's closely eying and listening to everything the Omega says and does. Already Jensen has lied to him and now...he's hiding something on his body that doesn't involve his second heat's arrival. “When did your heat actually start?”

“Today.” Jensen jitters from the outright question—-no-holds barred Q&A. He's a bit stunned Jared recognizes what's happening to him. “I could, kinda, get through the stuff I did this morning, but then it came back again tonight.”

“...when you were out with your 'little' friends?” Jared knows more about Jensen than he's letting on, since he had left Sandra about three hours ago. He does blanch at the sound of his own voice seeming like a parent to this Omega.

“...please...” And there Jensen goes, bowing his head in shame and guilt, arms tucking across his stomach. “...please, don't talk about them like that.” He doesn't need attitude from Jared, like he gets from the rest of his family. 

“Why not?” Jared lifts his chin up in defiance, being Alpha in this camp—-this trailer. “Why aren't you with them right now?” He shoves off the edge of the stovetop to step forward. “Why did they leave you wherever the hell they left you?” Jared doubts these “friends” of Jensen's were friends at all.

“They...they didn't leave me.” Jensen rubs the heel of one hand against and closed eyeball, then scratches at the itchy scalp behind an ear. “...I-I-I lost.”

“Lost? Lost—-what?” Jared doesn't expect Jensen to stand and try to come at him, like a snarling 'cub' attempting to stand his ground and protect himself.

“The fight! Okay?! I lost...” Jensen doubles over, an arm across his chest as if in pain of another kind. He almost faints dead away, but Jared deftly catches him. “...the damn fight that would've kept me in the—-”

Jared's not prepared for the heavy leaning of dead weight collapsing on him. “...heyheyhey, now!” He hefts Jensen up, though he droops like a rag doll with just one single arm around the thin waist. He undergrips the chin to raise the bowing head. “...don't pass out on me...c'mon, man...”

“...jus' leave me alone—-to die...” Jensen sags against Jared, his head lolling around his neck. “...like they did...i's easy...” He snortles lightly out of his nostrils. “...jus'...stop carin' 'bout me...” Then he passes out anyway, dipping backward over Jared's arm.

“...ohchrist...” Jared mumbles under breath as he adjusts Jensen on his forearm. “...bit of a drama queen, are we?” He makes himself laugh through his nostrils, looking down at the craned face. He can see the obvious injuries from a valiant fight...cut lip, cut above an eyebrow, a possible black eye and there's a sign of something beneath Jensen's dirty blond hair, a trail of dried blood tracing darker roots at the hairline to trickle down the temple. As he balances the Omega by drawing his right arm up the spine, he lifts the hem of the t-shirt and thin sweater...already the severe bruising is showing most of the bare skin as red and blotchy—-dirty footprints marring the flawless skin. There are several scratches, in rows of three...like ferocious claw marks. “...jesuschrist...bare chest and bare knuckles—-I bet...ignorant fuckers...” 

Jared gently lifts Jensen with an ease of having done this quite a number of times in the past, carrying him to the futon mattress. He holds the form precariously in the air because he knows how soiled the sheets are, but Jared doesn't have time to change them right now. He lowers Jensen down, making sure the joints bend correctly and the neck is kept straight. As fingers accidentally comb through blond strands at the back of the head...haphazardly, the gravel and salt pebbles fall out, showing that the Omega may have been beaten cruelly after falling to the ground during this “fight”. 

Not only does Jared have an Omega in his second heat...said-Omega believes he's dying. The heat-riddled Omega has various visible and unaccountable injuries from an unfair fight he lost and, apparently, this has gotten him kicked out of their “pack”, so they left him for dead...for sure...

Lovely.

Jared drops slowly to his knees to the floor at a level to tend to Jensen. The tea kettle starts to whistle sharply, and Jared spins on his knee to stand. He turns down the burner, then opens the cabinets above his head to find an appropriate bowl; he'll tend to Jensen, giving him a good washing with hot, soapy water. He can check the extent of the injuries along the way, so Jared will be able to assess everything and hand off a better report to Sandra or her mother. He would call now, but...by law, Jensen is of age. Sandra is twenty-three, Jensen just a year older at twenty-four...and this makes Jared the oldest out of all of them by a mere twenty-six years—-about to turn twenty-seven very soon. It's not as if Jensen was a fifteen year old teenager and a runaway pack member, which Jared has done his fair share of chasing after to bring back to their pack homes. Not many people know this; they assume Jared works the bounty hunter cases that have made him notorious amongst packs, but...he does plenty on the side with the Missing Pack center to supplement his regular income. It's why he can live in the lap of luxury like he does.

As he softly snickers to himself, Jared spots the beginning of Jensen's body quakes. Damn...no wonder those anal releases are so painful. He's not sure why they're so intense, though. Might have something to do with the Omega, himself. Jared swiftly moves beside, tucking one arm under Jensen's head and neck to grab the distant shoulder joint, then he rests his right arm across Jensen's thighs. Jensen starts to vibrate, wanting to buck upward—-which hurts the bruised ribs—-only Jared keeps him grounded to the plush mattress. The shaking tamps down slightly, but then Jensen feels like opening his legs and lifting them. Jared lets a leg go—-the left—-but he holds onto the right one...a hand having crept up the inner thigh to undercup the bottom and part of the crotch.

Since there are new variables to his releases, Jensen opens his eyes and only shifts his gaze not his head toward Jared. “...they hit my system every good chunk of minutes.” He swallows, licking his dry lips wet. “My family—-well, Sandy...an' my aunt...they, uh...they think I should be smarter, keepin' better track of my heat. I haven't...” Jensen closes his eyes as he jolts and his legs kick out; he attempts to yank from Jared's hold and buck or thrust his hips... “...I haven't had a heat since I was 13...an' nothing more, not even a flutter to worry or be concerned...”

Jared remains silent, watchful of Jensen's face and his reactive body movements.

Jensen shivers, teeth chattering. He leans his head back, letting out a mournful wail, then a soft whimper as he twists his head on the mattress. “...I-I-I-I'm s-s-s-so scared...” He could never admit the words while looking into anyone's concentrated gaze, especially with eyes like Jared has, but Jensen does adjust his head again to blink and look to Jared with a sure sign of how afraid he truly is of death, and of dying alone.

“...you're not gonna die.”

Jensen shifts his head around, green eyes catching hazel. “How d'you know I won't? Crystal ball?”

Jared exhales on half a smile creeping out over his lips. He reaches up to brush back some of the lengthy blond locks. “I'm not gonna let you die.”

Jensen narrows his gaze, his shivering dissipating. “...y-y-you're Alpha, right?”

“Yes.” Some of Jared's half-smile disappears in seconds flat.

Jensen licks his lips again, forgetting that one side is cut. He closes his eyes in pain. “I guess it's too easy to assume you'd be the Alpha who knots me?”

Jared stares down at those keen green eyes, pupils fluctuating in dilation when aroused then back down to pin-points when not aroused. He does manage to look away, not changing the expression on his face. “...we'll see.” There's a longer story Jared has to tell, because it isn't easy to explain why he's on sups...why he's alone out here in the middle of nowhere and why he can't ever return to his old pack. He knows how long these second heats typically last for Omegas, and Jensen has just started. The Omega is in no condition to be knotted, and Jared needs to ween himself off the sups to match his arousal with Jensen's. Jared can do the task requested, but he needs to have time and patience with no distractions, which means that he has to be left alone with Jensen, no outside contact given to the Omega.

Jared knows for sure Jensen will not be dying because he honestly will not let him. He already made the decision that he'd be the Alpha to knot Jensen, saving him from death. But what Jensen doesn't know is that if Jared does this for him...it's not going to be a one time life preserver sent overboard rescue, and then they go their separate ways. If Jared takes Jensen at the time he feels most appropriate, then Jensen will become his mate...his mate for life.

Jared isn't sure Jensen is prepared to hear that part of the agreement.

The shivering is over-with. Jensen laying flat to the mattress. His head arcs over Jared's thick forearm, and he shuts his lids as one lone tear drips crooked from the corner of his right eye into his grubby, dusty hair.

Jared catches the sign of wetness as the Omega turns his head to use fingers to wipe the droplet away. “How do you feel?”

Jensen startles a little, twisting his head to look up at nothing in particular. “uh...I'm starting to feel achy...from the fight...”

At the mention of the fight, Jared removes his arms from Jensen's body to inspect the knuckles and fingers, plus the nailbeds. “Everything looks normal.” He furrows his brow in confusion, flashing his gaze onto Jensen's averting eyes. “You didn't get in a single punch?”

“I went into one of my heat-fits, right about the time we stood toe to toe in the middle of the ring.” Jensen says “ring” like it was a fair officiated boxing match rather than the circle drawn in the rocky dunes of salt with the rest of the pack forming a shape around them to move and shift with every jab and punch given.

“...that doesn't sound very fair.” Jared isn't sure why Jensen hadn't mentioned to his “friends” what had been happening.

“...of course, 'cuz I didn't tell them I had started this heat.”

“Why didn't you?” It would've saved the ass-whopping Jensen had gotten.

“Because...” Jensen rolls his head around, his jaw tensing with seething anger. “...bein' in that pack with Justin...we're—-men...we're strong...we have purpose an' we stand up for our fellow pack, our brother, no matter the status...I show a sign of any weakness, especially before a fight...I can be seen as—-they won't allow me back in...”

Jared flops his hands around on the mattress. “So...you just...allowed them to bust on you?”

“It's the code of the pack.” Jensen shuts his eyes, turning away slightly in frustration. “...never mind...you'll never understand.”

“...no...” Jensen is right about this fact. Jared pulls his hands away to rest his arms on the futon's framework. “...what kind of wolf pack denies exactly who they are in that very pack?”

“I'm not...denying anything. I just...sometimes it's not all chocolate sprinkles on ice cream and freakin' sparkly rainbows bein' an Omega.” Jensen actually catches Jared's sniff-snort of a laugh, letting a grin slip out from one side of his mouth as he watches that massive right hand move to cover the mouth. “Like this bullshit...for instance.” He points down to his pelvis...well, where his womb sits inside his body and where his rectum self-lubricates for knotting to create life.

Jared twists away in mild disgust. “...it's not bullshit.” He mumbles out on a low grunt, quickly extending arms to somehow trap Jensen's hand against his own body. “Feel that? Tha's not you...that's natural instincts...mother nature, which you never have power over no matter how hard you try...tha's in you to be if you just embrace it...and it makes you stronger than any Alpha alive and kickin'...”

Jensen stares wide-eyed at Jared, taking a rough swallow of saliva clogging his throat. “Sandy said you've had a tough road in life...especially with your pack.” He tries to switch positions so he can cover Jared's hand, but the Alpha tugs away as if burned. 

“Don't!...touch me...” Jared flies backward, landing on one knee. “...I do the touching.”

Jensen holds his hand to his chest, averting his head. “...s-s-sorry...”

Jared keeps his head twisted away, cracking his thick neck as he stares down at the carpet. “...I need you to undress. Take off everything you have on.” He scratches at his stubbled cheek with a thumbnail, clearing his throat. “I'm gonna tell you what I'm doing ahead of time so nothing is a surprise.” Jared nears again, safely, hesitating with his hand on Jensen's flat stomach. “Don't be ashamed...or embarrassed to let your body react around me. I've seen it all...and then some. You're an Omega...so live it...let it flow out of you...” He shakes his head, averting briefly to the side. “...your status gives you purpose inside of pack life...you create and give life...you're the reason packs keep existing at all. Don't ever feel shame for being weak...or vulnerable, showing emotion. And don't let anyone shame you, either.” Jared looks away to come back and stare down. “Keeping all your feelings buried only hurts you in the end.” He rises to his knees to heft his large frame off the floor. “...sometimes, worse than a sucker punch in an unfair fight.” Jared reaches out to touch the injuries on Jensen's face as green eyes close shut. The action allows Jared to look intently down, and even though he wants to snarl and grab the stubborn chin with some force, he can't help being affected by the male beauty he can see under all the grit, blood and bruises.

Jensen swears he hears a low growl under a throat, but the back of Jared's hand caresses the side of his face, like it's wiping away more tears. He slowly sits up once Jared leaves to work at filling a bowl with hot water. Jensen watches the gorgeous hulk of a beast stomp off to the tiny bath, bringing out towels, clothes and some kind of “sponge” for the body. He balances on his elbows, making sure he isn't going to have another release again. He reaches down, crossing arms to grab both hems of his t-shirt and sweater, but he groans in agony from the beating he had taken. So he swings his legs to drop feet to the floor, and he undoes what he can. Jensen quickly stands, letting the trousers fall to pool at his feet. He had taken off shoes and socks hours ago. As he steps out of the pant material, he happens to find a unique way to crawl out of the tops. Once he has both collars over his head, the strands spike every which way and he touches his hair to make a face of disgust.

Jared has been eying him from the kitchen. “I'll take care of that later...finish undressing...”

“...yes, sir...” Jensen mutters as he throws the sweater and t-shirt over with his pants, then tucks fingers under the elastic waistband to bend, lowering the briefs. He shoots upright to step out of them, standing still to hold arms a bit from his sides. Jensen feels sticky and quite dirty, and as he sits on the mattress, he touches his inner thighs to find a sheen of slick drying on the pale hairy skin. “...ewww...I forgot how nasty this can be...”

Jared doesn't realize he's holding a breath as he lets it out once Jensen is fully naked. The worst of the injuries are on the face. The chest isn't as bad as he once thought, just some deep bruising on lower ribs and abdomen. Jared doesn't like seeing those marks, relaying that someone's foot kicked hard enough to leave a shoeprint on the pale skin. He isn't shocked by the size of the dick up close; he likes that it's semi-erect at all times, poking out in a partial slump from the bed of dark blond curls. Jensen keeps turning around like a dog chasing his tail as he tries to check out his backside. This is where Jared almost loses it; the ample mounds and the deliciously creamy flesh is oh-so-tempting. When Jensen pulls on one cheek, he exposes the crack to show the beautiful dusky pink stretch of skin that dives into a puckered center.

“...lay back down.” Jared calls out gruffly from preparing the water, letting the washcloth and sponge soak. He's about to carry everything over when he notices Jensen sitting at the side of the mattress. “...is something wrong?”

“...yeah...soiled sheets...” Jensen is swiping at all the dirt and salt littering the linen. He points an index finger to his body. “...soon-to-be-clean body, if I can stop coming while I'm being washed...” Jensen pushes to stand, moving around to face the bed. “I can stay like this, while you clean me...like in a shower...” He flows his hands down his back to show direction. “...all the dirt falls to the floor.”

Jared shakes his head, furrowing his brow. “...no...you shouldn't be standing while you're in one of you're throes—-should they happen while we clean you...” He clears his throat of the clogged lump forming. “...laying down is best.” Jared moves to grab the huge towel he had brought, then rips off all the sheets to roll them into a ball. He hands the extra-large towel to Jensen. “...here...put this down, then lay on your stomach on top...”

Jensen shakes out the material, which is about his height and size, then flourishes it over the bare futon mattress. “...uh-oh...” He splats five-finger spreads on the bed, like he's about to dive head first.

Jared glances over to find Jensen stuck in a bent position. “...what? What's wrong?” He doesn't need to stare for too long before he sees Jensen's knees buckle. Jared is suddenly there to help the Omega sink to the floor, keeping an arm across the belly, a hand press to the lower back along the spine then the lower back.

Jensen's hands grab hard onto the futon's frame, his head dipping between his stretched arms to press into the puffed mattress. He does a few deep breathing exercises as his arms begin to shake like he's going to smash the bed apart. He cries out, leaning his head back, like he'll howl at the moon, then the body quakes slowly, shifting down his torso. “...ohgod...ohgod...”

“...ssshhh...” Not only is Jared applying pressure to the pelvis, but he pets down the spine to soothe over the upper curves of the mounds to the bottom. He only slides a palm over the skin, never going into the crease, then rubs the back again, paying attention to the lower region. “...breathe through it...breathe in, breathe out...”

Jensen obeys as the vibrations shimmy through, passing over his backside, as he frantically bucks his hips, his cock flapping against his belly [ against Jared's hand], and then his thighs quiver as he dovetails his knees inward. “...ohmygod...” Jensen leans forward, draping over the mattress. Inside, he shoots a good amount of lube to coat his anal walls and as his sphincter twitches the thick globs ooze out, then drip down his inner thighs to dribble on the floor.

“...breathe in, breathe out...deep breathes...good boy...” Jared massages the belly, then the expanse of back as he rubs his palms over the still quivering bottom from the aftermath.

“...god...tha's a chore...each and every time...”

Jared frowns, his eyes on his hand soothing over the ample backside. “...I think it's the most beautiful moment in the world...”

Jensen weakly sags where he is. “...ohgod...then you can have 'em, man...'cuz it doesn't feel beautiful when you're goin' through them.”

“Do you even think about an Alpha sexually?” Jared tilts his head to catch those flashing green eyes trying to look at him, then darting away. “...or do you think the knot comes detached at some point and you can just shove it in you any old time you feel horny and need to get off?”

“...whoa, whoa...” Jensen springs only his head up, one eyebrow raised. “...all right, man...god...” He twists to look away from Jared. The Alpha being this close to him is unbelievably warm and strong; he can be quite gentle and soothing when he's focused...and did all the touching. “...shit, yeah...when I'm alone, no one else around...I think of Alphas a lot...wonder what this whole 'mating' deal is about 'cuz...well, I ain't felt this 'big bang' yet.”

“Big Bang?” Jared quirks one side of his mouth in humor.

Jensen turns his head on his arms, looking over at Jared. “...you know, when we find our 'one'...one true mate...”

Jared keeps his face impassive. “You believe in that stuff?”

“...mmm...I don't know. I want to, because...what the hell am I goin' through if I'm still single and alone.”

“You could try to meet a better Alpha.”

“You mean...go where they are?”

“I mean...stop staying indoors and hanging out with Betas and other Omegas. Get out into the world and make your own fate or find and chase your destiny.”

“...man...you are just chock full of fortune cookie sayings:...'just embrace it', 'make your own fate'...'find, and chase, your destiny'...”

“...don't make fun of me...” Jared pulls away, once arm at a time, sitting with his back against the futon's frame.

“...hey!...” Jensen shoves off the mattress, accidentally reaching out to grab Jared's biceps. “...I didn't mean...” He stops because Jared is actually glaring at his hand like he can shoot lasers. “...jesus...all right...it's freaky, but fine...I'll try not to touch you—-at all...”

“...thank you. Get on the bed. On your stomach.” Jared stands, creating distance as he grabs a paper towel to swipe the mess on the carpet up. He knows he won't be able to stay at the front of the trailer too often once he's weened off the sups or he'll never be able to get his head on straight in order to mate with Jensen at just the right moment. He might even have to sleep outdoors the next night or two, but he'll see how it goes.

 

**== &&==&&==&&==**   
**TBC...**


	2. Chapter 2

Finally, once his mind is clear, and his thoughts are focused, feeling like his usual Alpha self, Jared takes the final suppressor dose so he'll peak at the exact moment when he and Jensen are not only at their most horny, but where their fertility is highest. Not only is saving an Omega key during these dire heats, it's imperative that they conceive to ensure that the reason for the fatal heats becomes less of an issue once they've given birth. Jensen can never be privy to any of this or it will never work, better to keep him under the simple belief he needs to knot or he'll die.

If Jensen had been mated, or had been promised to an Alpha, then he'd probably become complacent and attempt to find other ways he could keep himself alive. When Jared returns to Jensen's side, the Omega appears as if he's sleeping. The blond head turns away as the body lays face-down with arms placed straight along the sides. Jared kneels at the side of the bed-frame, pulling on the towel material to draw Jensen closer. Bowl of hot water by his thigh, Jared wrings out both sponge and wash cloth. He unfolds the cloth to place the square directly over the bare backside; Jensen moans, turning his face into the towel as he feels intense warmth on his skin. Jared delicately pulls apart the cheeks to tuck the cloth into the crease.

“...you've released so much lube, it's caked and sticky...probably painful.” Jared can see how red and raw the flesh is. Steam from the heat will loosen the skin, make it less painful. He takes the sponge and starts at mid-back, scrubbing in slow circles. “...while that's sitting, I'll bathe the rest of you. I'll do your legs last, plus your inner thighs, then I'll end with washing your backside and inside the crease. If, in the meantime, your body feels like releasing, then we'll stop everything and let the moment play out.” As he gently scrubs the expanse of the back, Jared works his way to the shoulder blades and nape. “...it's important that you keep breathing—-like before...clear your mind and try to focus on your body.” He trails down the back of the right arm, then shifts to the left. “I need you to let go of your fear, stop being so scared that your death is imminent...if you don't knot ASAP. Omegas don't die instantly during these heats, like a stroke or a heart attack. They can grow ill, fall into fevers that render them unconscious, lose extreme amounts of musculature and body fat...” Jared washes the curl of the hands, then pulls out the arms to dab under the arm pits. “It takes a long time for an Omega to succumb tragically from never being knotted during these heats. But no pack, no pack members, would ever be so cruel to bear witness to the crawl-death of an Omega during this time.” He slides down on the floor, climbing to sit on the bed below Jensen's feet.

Jensen clears his throat. “...I-I-I suppose it's become more urban legend or myth to get us 'megas to, uh...step up and do our duties, if we have found mates by this time.”

Jared smirks because Jensen just proved how smart he is by truly listening. He has placed the bowl of water between the legs, starting at the feet and calves. Jared doesn't feel the need to pick up the limbs to wash them whole, because he'll be turning the Omega over soon to clean his front. Spacing out the baths helps in the whole “relaxing” of the in-heat Omega. “...yeah, I suppose. I'm sure it was possible, hundreds of years ago, for an Omega to die. Especially if they wandered out on their own from the Den. But our world is more modern...you would make sure to find other packs, or even humans, to help. Or maybe your pack would try to come and find you.” Jared is scrubbing the backs of the knees. “Sandy was clearly upset, but that was because your aunt was frantic with worry, making your whereabouts Sandy's responsibility.”

“...crap...” Jensen mumbles, finally flipping his head to lay on the other cheek. He blinks rapidly and shut his lids. “Sandy's been beyond patient with me. I can only imagine she didn't think twice 'bout handing me off to you to find.”

“It's my job. It's what I do, and it's what I'm good at. I track a lot of wandering pack members to bring them back home.”

Jensen brings up his arms to fold under his head. This sponge bath is pleasantly relaxing, if not a little sensual and erotic. He knows the Alpha is possibly not affected by him, but Jensen isn't embarrassed by his own desires. Jared has always been somewhere in the distance, hiding in plain sight. Jensen had recalled those late nights spent listening to his cousin go on and on about how gorgeous this massively tall, dark-haired Alpha was—-back then Jared had been intricately involved in everything toward pack life. It had made Jensen curious to know how far Jared had fallen to lose such a high standing and be expunged. What had the Alpha done that was so reprehensible it got him kicked out and ostracized for life?

“Did she hire you?”

“...no. Sometimes I work cases...” Jared goes back to kneeling on the floor. He's removing the wash cloth. “...for no cost to anyone. We all simply want you safe, brought back home.”

Jensen can't seem to close his eyes. He isn't sure why he's so hyper-aware of Jared near his ass...near his hole. The Alpha hasn't manhandled him once. Jensen is used to them at least finding him appealing on some level where they try to flirt and exchange light banter. Jared seems to be only there, giving no indication of emotion or feeling. His voice flows on, but there's no tonal shift to indicate he's affected. Jensen twists his head slightly to look down and a little behind at what Jared's doing.

Jared is beyond focused, feeling the sups kick in at the last second as he parts the cheeks with fingers of one hand, inhales the scent of an Omega's hole and slick...and...nothing. It's an old, comfortable friend—-feeling nothing. He would miss it dearly once the sups stop working. He dips the sponge, not wringing it, then starts deep-cleaning the sensitive skin and area.

Jensen fidgets, shifting his legs and wanting to open them wider. Jared removes the bowl to give the Omega room to move. Once the bowl switches to the floor, Jensen turns a bit on his side as he bends to raise his left leg. He opens the crease, exposing the gape, but now he's showing the inner thigh of his right leg, which Jared scrubs down. Jensen is able to view the Alpha better, never knowing a more complicated pack member. Right hand under his cheek, Jensen extends his left arm to rest on his left thigh. He keeps being tempted to touch—-just to feel warmth, to know how hard or how soft Jared is. He's curious to why he hasn't released in a while, knowing it probably has something to do with Jared. Jensen moves his legs again, this time on his left side, raising his right leg to let Jared clean his inner left thigh.

All too soon, Jared is standing, collecting bowl, sponge and cloth. “...turn over onto your back.” He wanders away to dump the dirty water, then refill with cleaner hot water. From the sink, Jared can hear Jensen control his breathing. 

When he heads back over to the bed, Jensen has an arm arced over his face, the other arm is locked down on the wrist. It's pretty clear that Jensen is aroused; his cock is laying back against a bed of dark blond curls, possibly leaking pre-ejaculate as the testicles in the loose sac twitch and retract into the body. The Omega can't seem to keep his legs steady, but he tries. This time Jared sits right at the hip closest to him, his backside bumping Jensen's body. He wonders why Jensen hasn't asked why he's not had a release, because...yes, it has everything to do with Jared being near to share his heat, giving off his dulled scent and reaching out to touch. It isn't rare for an Omega to share in the personality and manners of an Alpha; it's what makes some Alphas “leader” material. Jensen probably isn't even aware of how connected he is to packs, thinking it's only his nature as an Omega to follow instead of lead. But even an out-of-touch Alpha like Jared can tell that Jensen hasn't broken through his own abilities. He keeps trying to be a different status, which messes with his system.

Jared unlocks Jensen's arms, placing them down on the bed. It can't be helped that Jensen's right hand rests against Jared's leg; the hand does twitch but the Omega never intentionally touches. Jared bites down the want to smile, because already Jensen show signs of excellent obedience, the fact he can behave and give over control to an Alpha. Leaning on the left hand planted beside Jensen's head, Jared hovers over the turned-away face. “...turn to me...keep your eyes closed.” He starts washing from the hairline, being careful as he dabs at bruises and cuts. 

Jensen keeps his head steady, but it becomes obvious he's beginning to need touch; his face twists toward Jared's arm beside his head, but he doesn't lean in, only stays near. Jared washes under the chin, along throat to side of the neck, and over shoulders. Wetting the sponge, he scrubs the chest, skimming pin-point erect nipples, down the fine dark hairs trailing the center of the chest. Jared moistens the sponge again to wash each arm, then the tops of the hands to fingertips. He shuffles down the mattress to be at the bottom of the feet, but not before he places a soaked washcloth over Jensen's genital area; the cock twitches at the feel of heat and the need to be stroked. 

Jared cleans the tops of the feet and toes, drawing up the tight calves. He scrubs over the kneecaps, then moves again on the bed, but this time further up, seated beside the thighs. As he washes over the tops and outer sides of the thighs, he wipes down the inner areas; the cock awakens to the sensation. Placing the sponge into the bowl, Jared presses a hand to the flat abs, just above the cocktip. He starts scrubbing over the ball sac and perineum, then slowly sooths over the underside of the cock, drawing the cloth along to wash away pre-come.

Jared is so focused and impersonal that once he takes away the cloth and lets the genitals air dry, he can barely hear words being uttered, which could only be slipping from between Jensen's parting lips. Blond head angles on the mattress to look up at Jared, green eyes plead with a wrinkled brow as the Omega pulls his arms in and limply sets his hands on his chest. 

“...what?” Jared tilts his head in honest curiosity.

“...please...touch me...” Jensen's center of body twists toward Jared. “...I want you to stroke me...I wanna come—” He closes his eyes in painful agony. “...pleas let me come...I want to...soooo bad...please...”

Jared averts his eyes, letting that desperate set of words course through him, then he turns to look down at the Omega's face, struck breathless by the pure want he does see, but not a true need. Jared can be any Alpha; it doesn't matter who jerks him to orgasm, which is why Jared makes a counter-offer. “...touch yourself...stroke your cock...make yourself come...if you want it 'soooo bad'...” He intently stares down Jensen, lifting an eyebrow in a slight dare. He can detect the need to fight for power, the urge to snap back. But he can also see that the Omega struggles with wanting to obey; the more Jared stares into his face, the braver Jensen becomes. Jared squelches a smile because he's learning so much more about Jensen and he likes what he's seeing...passion and fearlessness. The Omega has been misdirecting and channeling this energy to a bad place.

His green eyes trapped in hazel, staring numbly down at him, Jensen rubs his hands down his chest, then back up to pinch and tug his nipples. He closes his eyes, jolting his hips once. He crosses his hands down his torso and while one hand tangles in pubic hair, the other lightly traces down the thick throbbing vein. Jensen bucks his hips twice. The hand in the pubes presses on his pelvis, trailing down to rub over the scrotal sac, then palms the oval shapes. Fingers teasing change into a whole hand and Jensen lets out a groan as he strokes. The hand over his testicles pushes in at the base of the shaft as the jerking movements become more intense. Jensen starts shifting his legs.

Jensen has never had a “go-to” fantasy nor a fantasy Alpha lover. It usually was a nameless, faceless knothead who would worship his body and would do whatever he desired. He isn't sure he likes how his fragile mind caves to place Jared into that role, but the sudden shift in character causes him to speed up his strokes. He still keeps eyes shut, but grows curious to find out what Jared is doing, whether he's getting off or a little aroused.

A quirk of his lips, Jensen lifts his lids to find that Jared had stealthily climbed fully onto the bed and had situated himself so that he was poised above him—-stoic, handsome features looking down at Jensen. God dammit! Jensen wants to caress and touch that massively powerful chest hovering above him, those strong arms extending to brace palms on either side of his head. He brings his right hand back up, placing the palm to his chest then gives himself a couple of deep, rough jerks, his hips rolling by each shock of current he feels as he shoots several streams of come along his chest. He doesn't touch himself, just raises his arms to lay hands, forming fists, next to Jared's arms and he tosses his head around with each freeing euphoric spasm he has in the aftermath. Breathing labored as he tries to control his body, Jensen needs to look up at the Alpha to watch his expression. 

No reaction from Jared except a lift of an eyebrow. “Feel better?”

Jensen works his mouth like he wants to say something snappy and smart, but he pauses and honestly thinks about how empty he feels...and so guilty. He turns his head away, eyes looking at the dark hairs on Jared's arm. “...no...”

“...well, why not? It wasn't what you really wanted?”

Jensen slowly twists his head to narrow his gaze on Jared. “You know why?”

“I do?” Jared contemplates for a bit, then shrugs one shoulder as he shuffles off the mattress. He throws the Omega a wet cloth. “...you made the mess, you wash yourself.” Then he walks away to dump the lukewarm dirty water. He starts cleaning up his items from bathing to beginning to arrange the take-out food he brought with him. “...can you eat?”

“...uhm...” Jensen sits up by now, washing off his chest and cock. “...I am gettin' kinda hungry.”

Jared pops food on plates, using the overhead microwave to reheat. “Sandy sent along some food for you.” He wanders over to give Jensen the still-full take-out bag; most of what she had given him was sweet and one of his favorite sodas that the diner carried. Jared knows that wouldn't be enough to sustain the Omega right now, so he's willing to split his meal with Jensen. While the food cooks, Jared ventures back to his compact wardrobes. He builds a mini-pile of old clothes for Jensen to use—-one is for daily wear, the second is for sleeping. This is will carry Jensen over until Jared can get away to buy him some clothes or he can pack a suitcase of some of Jensen things from wherever he mainly keeps his own clothing.

Jensen is using the towel as a cover, thinking he'll be forced to stay naked until he's fully recovered, but then Jared brings him clothes. He feels bad for thinking Jared wouldn't be civil or respectful to him. He almost forgets about his heat and releases until he has to contemplate whether to put on underwear or not.

Jared notices Jensen's long pause before starting to dress. “It's up to you whether you want to wear them. Since you're here, and you're not leaving the trailer and no one is around but me...wear them or don't. In fact, you don't even have to dress if it's not what you want. But if you do, don't ruin them. I have no more to spare for you.” A lie, but Jensen wouldn't need to know that.

“You want me to undress when I have a release?”

Jared gives a half-assed nod. “Pull down your briefs and pants. You don't need to go completely nude, unless your skin starts to itch...or you get extremely warm.” He strolls over to hand a warm plate to Jensen. “When you're done eating, I want you to make a call to your Aunt, or Sandy. Tell them you're all right and not dead.”

“If they ask, what do I say?”

“That's up to you. If you do tell them you're in heat, make sure they know that you won't die. I think they'll figure out you're with an Alpha.”

“I can't say I'm with you?” Jensen knows that would make this news go over smoother since both women know Jared very well.

“It doesn't matter to me.” It truly doesn't, because Jared knows that they can't do much of anything. “But understand this...you're old enough to take control of your life and show them you can be responsible for your own self. Show them that you'll be fine. It might take some time to convince them, but...you obviously already feel they meddle too much or you would've never tried to join Hartley's pack.”

“I didn't 'try to join'...I was 'in' his pack...”

“No. You really weren't.'

“What makes you say that?”

“Hartley has a reputation as a Beta to being rather weak when it comes to bored and sadistic Alphas who have leadership fantasies. Hartley 'cons' unsuspecting Betas and Omegas to follow him, but it mainly becomes a cheap way to humiliate pack members simply because he can. It's his hobby...or his 'sport', if you will.”

“...Justin seemed really nice at the start, but...he was getting a little frazzled near the end.”

“It all depends on the Alphas he chooses to work with. The Alphas have differing kinks and fetishes...some like to be a bit dominant...others like to tease and taunt but never follow through, getting a rush from fear in the lower pack statuses...” Jared stops because he can see he's making Jensen uncomfortable with what could've happened to him besides the fight. “...so he brought his so-called 'lead Alpha' to the fighting ring?”

“uh, yeah...was he really an Alpha?”

“Probably, but most likely he's a pack member who's been lowered in status because of infractions against the pack. You know, like...Alpha to Beta...Beta to Omega and then, well, once they've been subjected to being sent down to 'Omega' status...they feel like they're nothing, because they aren't really an Omega, who can do the things Omegas do.”

“mmm...yeah, I can see that now. He was kind of a snooty a-hole.”

Jared lets out a small smile then swivels to head toward the back bedroom where he sits on his bed, grabs for a remote off his bedside table, turning on a flat-screen television inset into the wall. He eats his food while distracting himself with mindless TV, if he can find something to pretend to watch.

Jensen hurries to dress, putting on the briefs. Then he grabs his plate, attempting to eat alone, but the distant sounds of the TV make him want to seek out company. He keeps thinking about it until he feels the old pangs, which make him scared another release is on its way. So he pushes off the mattress, pacing to the bedroom doorway. “Jared, I—”

Jared has scooted further back on the bed, back along the wall on the whole right side of the bed as legs stretch out to make a “table” of his lap. He looks up at Jensen as he reclines backward on the pillows at his lower back, tapping a spot beside him on the bed. He gives Jensen a pillow to use however he wishes.

Jensen folds its shape to lay down on his side, plate in front of him on the mattress. He moves to the opposite side of the double bed; there's another section of wall outlining the bottom of the mattress. Once he's done munching on everything he's hungry for, his stomach full, Jensen leans over to set the plate down on the floor and shifts back to laying down on the pillow, feeling his body relax into a restful sleep.

==&&==&&==&&==

Jensen wakes to being alone, yet very warm. He's laying in Jared's bed at the wrong end, tucked under and covered with a nice, thick comforter. The television plays low—-local news—-and Jensen can hear noises outdoors. He crawls to the tiny windows to look out. It's Jared...doing daily house/camp chores—-right now, it seems to be he's washed clothes and sheets ; he's finally hanging a load of wet laundry evenly on the three rows of clothesline. Jensen recognizes some of his own clothes and the sheets that had once been on the futon mattress. The trailer is nice and toasty, but he knows that outside it can't be hot or warm. As he opens the door to step out of the bedroom, he's off to locate a coat in one of the compact closets. He doesn't know how Jared can be outdoors without one or wearing a sweater or a hoodie. He opens the trailer door, climbing to the ground backwards and still feels chilled as he walks over to Jared and notices the Alphas has two fires going: one behind the clothesline in a metal bin and a small one on the ground like a tiny bonfire. He's already beginning to feel warmth as he approaches.

Jared spots the Omega, but keeps hooking clothes on the rope with clothespins. “Sleep well?” He talks around the ones sticking out of his mouth.

“...yeah, actually, I did.” Jensen is stunned he hadn't gone into throes once and had slept for more than an hour solid. He has no idea it's because he had been nestled and slumbered in Jared's leftover heat and scent, never knowing how attached he's growing to the Alpha that will be his mate. “uh...is there—-do you need any help?” Jensen knows most people think he's not a diligent and hard worker, but he hates standing around doing nothing while someone else works.

Jared goes stiff, more pins shoved in his mouth, and he turns to face Jensen. “Did you call home?” He knows Jensen hasn't, but he wants to see how the Omega answers.

Jensen stares on, not moving. “No.” He shoves hands into the coat's pockets heavily sighing. “I didn't see a phone inside and...I don't have a cell.” Jensen does; it's not here due to the fact of his ass getting kick at the salt mines.

Jared shrugs in nonchalance. “Is that my fault? How old are you again?” He furrows his brow, already knowing the answer to the question. “You don't have money to buy yourself a phone?”

Jensen feels like an idiot admitting where his phone is, because Jared looks genuinely perplexed. “I do have a phone but...I abused the privileges. My aunt confiscated it.” It sounded like a good enough cover-up to the truth.

“mmm...that's too bad...” Jared doesn't know why he doesn't believe Jensen but he doesn't. He'll wait a beat or two to see what else Jensen asks him.

“...uh...do you have a phone out here? Or a...cell?”

Jared finishes pinning the towels to the rope, then saunters over to a hutch where he reaches in to pull out a plain, no-frills cell phone. He holds it in his palm as he looks down at it to explain once he nears Jensen. “This is a pay-as-you-go phone, like a cell with a calling card. I only have so many minutes available, but...” He raises shadowed eyes to glance at Jensen. “...it's untraceable and the number is scrambled. They won't know where you are or where to find you.”

Jensen snorts a laugh. “Sounds like a creepy kidnapper thing to say.”

Jared stares at the Omega with no expression. “While I do care that you're safe and not laying in a ditch somewhere, and you return home safely...I'm not helping you at the cost of losing my own identity protection. I have a lot of big, bad wolves ready to come and get me, if they want.” He grabs Jensen's hand, flips the palm up and slaps the phone down. “I won't time you, but don't waste all my minutes.” Jared paces away to weave through the hanging laundry to escape the camp atmosphere.

Jensen felt himself unable to breathe until Jared left, then it was as if he couldn't fill his lungs fast enough, having to put a hand to his mouth to just calm his intakes and out-pushes of air. He thinks Jared had bolted from him in frustration. While true, it's more that Jensen's scent and heat are a little more potent after having slept in his bed and Jared can't stop thinking about mating...or knotting Jensen. And it isn't just to get him through this heat, but once Jensen's here, by choice, as his true mate.

He forgets what Jared does for a living, only because it's just not who the Alpha is when standing in his presence. Yes, the initial aura can feel a little menacing, rather stiff and seemingly unfeeling, but...the lengths Jared has gone through to catch the worst of the towns escaped parolees, which he jokes as “big, bad wolves”, has given him quite the roughneck reputation. Everyone in the packs within the surrounding areas and towns fear Jared, thinking he's just as bad and evil as the wolves he tries to catch and bring back to the Sheriff. Jensen has known what a huge softie Jared can be, since Sandra wouldn't shut up about him for so long, but then Jensen had started to secretly spy the Alpha, once he and his cousin parted ways a bit and she was actually meeting and thinking about mating with a new Alpha who sincerely loved her like she deserved. Jensen hates to think he may have accidentally compromised Jared just by being here, having found this camp on his own. 

Would Justin and his pack come looking for him?

Jensen frowns, turning his back to dial his Aunt May's home number. He doesn't even realize Jared's no longer inside the camp, anywhere. Or that he went beyond the camp boundary line, going directly through low brush and trees at a dead run to find the embankment where he has undressed down to bare skin, taking a short jog off the long pier, diving into the warm coolness of the man-made lake bordering San Marco Falls. 

Jensen does hear the distant splash of a body hitting water, but it's too far away and the other line just picked up...

“Hello?”

“Aunt May?...it's me...it's Jen.”

“oh! Jensen!...sweetie...where have you—-are you okay?! We've been so worried about you.”

“...look, uhm...I don't really have time to go on with a long explanation, but...I am fine. Not only am I fine, but I'm, uh—-you were right to be concerned—-before. I was hitting my heat, like you thought...” Jensen pauses while his aunt freaks out. “...b-b-but I'm gonna be all right, 'kay?...Auntie?”

“How? How can you—? You're not with pack, hon'...a-a-and Sandy says that Hartley boy can't help you anymore, so...w-w-w-what exactly are you doing for your heat?”

“I, uh...I do have an Alpha, May. I...I wasn't goin' to say anything but...I already made arrangements ahead of time, once I hit my heat—-whenever that would've been.” God...Jensen knows this can't be taken seriously; it sounds contrived even to his own ears. “I'd give him a call...he'd come pick me up and then, uhm...well, you know.” He squirming uncomfortably from laying the lies on thick; he hopes she eats this up and doesn't keep pestering with questions.

“An Alpha? Do I—?...is he pack, Jen? Do we know him? Have we met him?”

“I'm safe, May...an' I'm not gonna die anytime soon.”

“Is he—? Does he—?” There's a long sigh being let out over the line. “...oh, jen...is he your mate? Have you been seeing him all this time?”

Jensen jitters from the opening he's been given. If this gets his aunt off his back, he'll agree with whatever she says. “uh...yeah-yes...yes...he isn't...he's taking such good care of me, you wouldn't believe. I don't even feel my aches anymore, which is a good thing...a very good thing. I'm not ruining all his sheets and my clothes.”

May softly snickers, knowing exactly what her nephew is talking about. “oh-oh-kay...well, I wish you woulda said somethin' sooner. But I know how you are with this stuff, bein' an Omega an' keeping private. I just...I worry so much about you, sweetie. I promised your mother I'd look after you like my own and I...I-I-I hope I've done right by you. Sometimes—-I don't know.”

Jensen can feel the pin pricks of tears behind his eyes at the mention of his mother. He pinches the upper portion of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. “...how I am, or have been, is never your fault. Tha's my own idiocy. I tend to be ungrateful 'bout a lot of things in my life, when I should be on my knees thanking you for never givin' up on me...”

“mmm...I guess one tends to deeply reflect on this when faced with your own mortality, huh?”

“...yes, indeed...it's very crystal clear to me at his point how much of a terror I still am, when I should have grown up a lot sooner, May.”

“...oh, pish-posh, Jen...bygones...you know that...”

Jensen can always count on his aunt cutting him more slack than he deserved. “I promise you...I feel more awake and alive now than I ever have.” In a very weird circumspect manner, Jensen is finally telling a truth. Though he may not be getting any reaction from Jared to give him any hope or sign of a future prospect...he can't tamp down the urge or the sudden antsy anticipation of what the Alpha will do next. Or even how Jared plans on saving his poor excuse for a life.

“well...god, now I feel terrible that I may have been worrying for nothing.” May clears her throat, sounding like she's trying to hold back her own tears. “You really do sound more right, honey, than I could hope for.”

“yeah...for the first time, well, you know...I think my life is changing for the good.” Jensen has no idea where these lying half-truths are coming from that pour out of his mouth. “And it's about to get even better...I hope.”

“He takes good care of you...this Alpha of yours?”

“He does, May. He's not like other Alphas...he's one of the best I know.”

“I can't ask for more than that.”

“I gotta go. He's on his way back...we're—-I don't know...probably gonna stay in tonight, and just...I hope I don't start my throes again. I feel like I miss so much around me when I can't focus on anything but...m-m-my body and what it wants.” Jensen does feel a bit ashamed and embarrassed mentioning this stuff to his aunt. But this is why they keep clashing heads on things that he does, because he won't allow her understand what he's going through. His mother Beta never felt inclined to learn and he assumes her older sister won't either, but now he's beginning to think he's been wrong in his judgment of his aunt...and maybe even Sandra. 

“All right, Jen...I'll let you go. You, uh...take care an'...call me when you know more.”

“I will. Sleep well...'kay?”

“oh...I certainly can now, hon'...g'night...”

“...buh-bye...” Jensen hangs up, leaning weakly on the thick tree trunk. He hears the rustling on the ground of huge feet pounding over. “That...went better than I thought it would.” He turns, not expecting to find Jared having changed into a lighter pair of worn jeans just draping off wide hips with no belt and a thick white cotton button-down completely undone, exposing his bare muscled chest with sprinkles of dark curls tapering to the groin. The Alpha is scrubbing at the long locks at the back of his head and nape. Jensen gulps down a swallow, his next breath stolen once again.

Jared doesn't even notice. ”Everything all right? Your aunt is appeased?” He wrinkles his brow as he does witness Jensen only able to nod his head, then the dip of the blond locks. It reminds Jared he had promised Jensen he would wash his hair. “...you okay?” He thinks that maybe the conversation had gotten emotional between the Omega and his aunt. He has to lessen the need to walk over and embrace Jensen in his arms.

“...m'fine.” Jensen fiddles with the phone, sniffles then wipes under his nostrils as he quietly brings the cell phone back to where Jared had taken it out from. He bypasses the Alpha, then retraces steps, tucking hands deeper into the coat pockets to warm them. “...g'night...”

“...you heading to bed?”

“I might...why?” Jensen stops a bit beyond where Jared stands. He falters on his feet as Jared stomps over to him with those huge, beautiful bare feet.

Jared snatches Jensen under biceps to drag the Omega in front of him, so he can sit him down on the picnic table's bench-seat. He bends Jensen's head forward, pulling apart chunks of hair to look directly at the scalp. “How attached are you to your hair?”

Jensen frowns, bringing a hand up to the lengthier strands splaying over the coat material on his shoulder. “...w-w-what?...why?”

Jared doesn't mean to be rough and cause Jensen to wince and suck air between his teeth, but the need to look closer at the scalp was growing strong. Jared isn't sure a thorough washing with hot water will get rid of some of those tangles and knotted clumps. “I forgot about your bump, or the cut on your head...and I promised to help you wash it. I'm not sure that's going to do much.”

“So, uh...what are you tellin' me?”

“Shorter. Shave close to the scalp.” Jared picks at some of the wayward stands. “Is your hair naturally platinum blond?”

“no...well, when I was a 'pup' it was lighter blonds, but as I got older, they've darkened. I thought I'd color it in lighter shades, but...the roots are dark.”

Now Jared's roughly finger-combing the bangs back from the forehead, watching the sides fall forward and fan around the Omega's beautiful, still bruised features. “A good shave to your root color. You've got some nasty tangles in there...like a bird's nest. Did you roll around on the ground or some kind of thick brush?”

“I don't know. They, uhm...while I was unconscious, they took me...someplace to dump me, like the side of the highway, or uh...a ditch of some type.”

Jared twists away in disgust. “Lucky for Hartley I'm here and not giving him the beat-down he deserves”

“Let it go.” Though it excites him to hear Jared try to stick up for him, Jensen doesn't want to see the Alpha hurt in his name, for his wrongdoings. “What happened, happened. Can't change it. Probably won't even find proof he actually gave the order to leave me somewhere desolate and empty.”

“Unfortunately, if packs around here don't do something soon, there really will be a dead Omega on the side of the road. Sadly, you have some lead Alphas in these towns who see the renegade packs as more of a 'rite of passage'...like 'gangs' in human culture.”

“...christ...so I was being initiated into a 'pack gang'?”

Jared squats in front of Jensen, his hands moving to latch onto the edge of the bench on either side of Jensen's knees. “Your cousin mentioned you had some friends you brought along with you. Is there any chance you recall if they're okay? Think they could've gotten away after watching your downfall?”

Jensen shrugs, bowing his chin to chest. “...god...I'm so fuckin' stupid. Thinking I was cooler...somehow more mature...” He jolts when he feels the huge palm cup his thigh, and he bites hard on his bottom lip, unable to not picture how large this Alpha's cock and knot must be, with everything on him being comparable in equal size.

Jared gives the leg a squeeze. “Stop beating yourself over this. It's not rare for younger males of your status to fall into these traps. It's what predators like Hartley, and the Alphas he circles with, look for.”

Jensen nods his head, accepting that as an Omega, he can be weak and susceptible to a higher status-ed pack member. He closes his eyes, leaning forward as the massive palm covers his cheek; he whimpers and turns into the wispy caress. Fingers are in his hair, gently tugging, making him change whimpers into stunted moans. He's craving touch, and the Alpha is feeding him exactly what he needs. Except Jensen takes the tiny bit given too far and practically glomps on top of Jared as he throws himself into his arms, holding the Alpha tight to his body around the neck. Jensen feels the intensity of want...Jared's scent and heat, and he's pressing his face against the stubble, then his hands grapple in dark strands. Jensen takes things even further by grazing wet lips he just licked across warm skin; Jared struggles to pull the Omega off him, pushing him backward as if he's ill or about to vomit.

Jared spins away, muttering obscenities to himself, hands on hips then one scrubs over his hair and face. “What did I tell you about—?!” He turns back to face Jensen, who has slunk to the end of the bench-seat, bent over, head almost in his lap as he buries his flushed face in shame. 

“...m'sorry...I didn' mean...so sorry...won't happen again...”

Immediately, Jared is more upset with himself, because he knows better than to reject an Omega like this. Not when they give affections so freely. And especially not to the Omega he plans on mating and then knotting with. He can't take the chance of Jensen finding out...he just can't. Jared has imagined that even once he's deeply inside Jensen, he'll have to hold him at a distance until the very moment he enters the womb, when Jensen can no longer refuse him—-unable to deny they're mated and they'll have a 'pup' soon together. What Jared hates most is the cowering humiliation—-he knows that too well. Of someone standing over him wielding power to get him to cave to their will. He never meant to put Jensen in that same space.

Jared steps near, not caring that Jensen flinches as he's back to being closer than expected. He places a hand on the Omega's shoulder. “It's not you, it's me.” He can't go into more detail, nor is he willing to cut himself wide open to be heartbroken again. He might start liking Jensen, but he still can't lower his guard to trust him. Not yet. “...c'mon...” Jared taps the top of his hand against Jensen's biceps. “...lets get this overwith quick so you can get back inside, wash your hair in the sink...” 

Jensen stands, keeping his head bowed and walking a step behind Jared. He's being sent around the big tree the clothesline hangs from to come to the backside where the huge metal drum burns orange flames. It's quite clear that this fire and the one on the ground a few feet away create a vortex of intense heat meant for the laundry on the ropes. No wonder Jared has been without a jacket, hanging the just-washed laundry. Jensen begins to heat up over his own skin, so he unzips the coat, slipping easily out of the sleeves. “How do you get everything not to smell like smoke or whatever you use as kindling?”

“I don't. The smell dissipates once I store them away or put them on. Plus the clothes hang at an exact point where there isn't a smell or odor wafting through. I think it has something to do with the shade of the trees or their trunks and branches.

“hmm...interesting...” Jensen stands still, holding the coat in one hand. “Where do you want me?”

“Sit on top of the picnic table, but near the end. Let your legs dangle. It won't take me too long to shave your head.”

“...mmm-kay...” Jensen folds the coat in half, placing it on the bench-seat as he turns to hop onto the table surface. He's a little disturbed to find Jared coming closer; he tugs at the sides of the t-shirt Jensen wears.

“Take your shirt off.”

Jensen knows not to read anything into Jared's nearness or the sudden reach-out to touch him. He doesn't mind as he's feeling an intense draft of heat pelting him. He forgets about his injuries and crosses arms again to grab for shirt material, then doubles over as if nauseous or in pain.

Jared creeps forward, knowing Jensen re-aggravated the bruises on his chest. He stands in front of the Omega, grabbing a hold of where he had just touched mere seconds ago. “...lift your arms as high as you can...”

Jensen swallows nervously, closing his lids as he feels the warm breath on his skin, the steady heat off the naked torso and the overall reserved reaction of Jared, wearing down Jensen's ability to sense when an Alpha is attracted to him. He's pleased that Jared still finds him worthy of being taken care of, shown respect in a time of great need. He hasn't had this much attention ever, and it's strange to learn how he likes the disinterest with the TLC, minus the emotion of “love” intended.

Slowly, Jared pulls the cotton fabric up, then off the chest, forcing Jensen to bend forward slightly so he can whip the shirt over the head. He makes sure to drop the clothing on the coat, not the ground, then cups the nape's shape in one palm. “I'll need you to keep yourself like this. I'll try to brush or comb through first, push every strand forward. Might hurt a bit. I may reopen whatever bled off your scalp from the fight. If I don't notice it, you need to tell me so I can stop and asses the wound.” He clears his throat as he rolls the head around to check out all sides; he's figuring out how exactly to tackle this hair issue. “I don't wanna ruin my clipper, so I'll cut the ends all around, then shave from the bottom upward.” Jared uses an index finger to point out on Jensen's head what he's about to do.

Jensen had kept his eyes shut, reveling in Jared's touch, then the booming voice informing him of what would be done. He leans so far over he has to keep a permanent grip on the table ledge. Jared's close to him, sometimes the top of his head bops the bare chest or the hair skims the dangling shirt lapels. Jensen starts out apologizing, but stops once he begins doing it too many times for it to be intentional.

Jared walks away, briefly, or he knows he would've dragged Jensen down by his legs, flipped him over and yanked off those sleep pants. The lesser dose of sups is starting to wear off faster than he imagined. If he doesn't make it past morning, he will need to take himself far away from camp on a day's bike ride. He can't knot Jensen until the moonlit morning of the third day in his heat, then it is at an Alpha's discretion when to start. Jared leaves Jensen's side to weave through the hanging clothes to find the scissors, and wide toothed comb and the portable hair trimmer. He easily makes his way back from a different spot, noticing Jensen has turned his head to watch for his eventual return. Once he steps around, the Omega startles as if caught staring and feels guilty, twisting away to look down at the dirt. 

Jensen can't deny his attraction any longer, the more he feels Jared is distant, the more he wants to pull in and surrender. He's not usually this submissive, and he often struggles or fights for control with anyone. With this Alpha, he, literally, feels like he'll lay down naked beneath him and allow Jared to do with him whatever he wants or needs. As his body tenses with Jared's approach, Jensen feels his hole begin to pulse, but not react in the throes of a release. He is unable to stop his walls from clenching, nor the moisture from building. He shows Jared the profile of his face once he's in front of him, then hangs his head low, making sure to bend as far as his nape and back hairline will show. He squirms a little, but then he deep breathes through his mouth and nostrils, exhaling with the close of his eyes.

Jared understand what Jensen has started doing, attempting to control his release on his own. He bites his cheek, wanting to beam with pride. He can hear, and feel, those controlled breathes of Jensen's, Jared watches the Omega's forearms and biceps shake with holding so tightly to the wood he sits on, then the labored breathing with a frantic heartbeat. There are erect nipples displayed on the chest to the flushed pale skin from the fire. Jared pauses, contemplates telling [ suggesting ] the Omega do something, but somehow he knows Jensen will end up not being able to keep his aroused state secret for too long.

Jensen feels the four fingers thread and tuck between strands, then the rusted squeak of the scissor arms as chunks of his blond locks clump to the ground at his feet. Jared continues to do that all over his head, Jensen trying to calm his body. Soon there's a shorter style forming to Jensen's darker blond roots and Jared trades scissors for trimmer. He puts light pressure on Jensen's head to lean more forward as possible, so Jared can step in to use his chest wall as a point where the Omega can rest against. 

Jensen's neck is steadied, Jared switching the shaver on to begin the cut he'll do initially. He had considered shorter to the scalp—-an inch or inch-and-a-half, but he has changed his mind to the third setting, which is two inches, slowly shaving in a forward direction from the back hairline. Jensen feels his system plateau as the precision cut continues around his ears, over the crown of his head, then, finally, along sideburns and the hairline above his forehead. Jared stops once to put down the clippers because he finds the smallish cut on the scalp. It's barely visible, but it does swath a path across the hair follicles.

Jared leans in to give a glance from the front to see where the injury is so he can think about cutting that area shorter around the whole head. In the end, he has the sides cut to a half-inch length. It stuns him how soft the hairs are without being washed, but he has no doubt that for a while, Jensen will look less “pretty” and more mature. Jared has to straighten his back to look at the Omega, reaching out to muss the new flat-spikes. It's rather drastic to the overall appearance for Jensen, not making him any less strikingly handsome than he already had been.

Jensen opens his lids, one at a time, grateful for his body's compliance to waiting for a more private time to react. He looks at Jared in the darkness and firelight. “...so, man...what's the verdict?”

Jared simply stares, not sure what to say because he's not about to stroke the Omega's ego. “...well, the cut's not as bad as I thought. Head wounds tend to bleed the worst, even when they're not much. I still need to clean it, once you wash your hair...which I suggest you do right now...” He puts a hand to Jensen's mid-back, guiding him to the ground. He makes certain to brush off the loose hairs on the pale skin, then picks up shirt and coat to send the Omega back into the trailer. “Lock the door behind you.” Jared quickly spins away, grabbing hair trimmer, comb and scissors to dart off through the laundry again.

“But I—” Jensen can't believe Jared takes off that fast and so swiftly. He wanders around the big tree to see that Jared isn't there near the bonfire and hutch. Somehow he has raced out of the camp, through brush and trees in bare feet back into the depths of the small woods. Jensen tries not to take the vanishing personally as he carries his things through the chilly air and climbs back into the trailer, locking himself inside. He throws coat and shirt on the futon, then wanders into the bathroom to look at what selection of shampoos Jared has to choose from.

Meanwhile, as Jared dips scissors and clippers in the lake to clean, he does his own deep breathing. He knows better than to stand there, letting the Omega become aroused. He knows better but he also can't help wanting to see how aroused his own body will be once scenting the shift in Jensen. Setting the objects on the ground, on a rock, Jared slips out of shirt and loose jeans, feeling cool air pelt his own feverish skin. He concentrates on the hardness of his cock and knot—-barely there since the sups still try to work, but he can feel pressure building, wanting to feel tightness of a hole to ejaculate into. He rubs the sweat off his brow with his shoulders, slowly walking into the water from the embankment this time. Hopefully, Jensen has obeyed him and locked that damn door.

Jensen washes his new haircut twice, mainly because Jared's shampoo is intoxicating, but also he wants to stop the feeling of itchiness of cut hairs stuck to his skin. He needs to piss, and attempts to see if his body needs to take a shit, but he doesn't feel much of anything back there. He flushes the toilet, walks out of the bath to dip his head to look out the bedroom windows, able to now see Jared back at camp—-back in that draped shirt and loose jeans. Now the Alpha is undoing a bedroll he will prepare for sleeping outdoors...

Damn...Jensen shakes his head, still not sure how to read this Alpha. He feels bad for kicking Jared out of his comfy bed to sleep on hard, cold ground, so he unlocks the latch on the door. The poor guy might still need food or drink, not to mention the privacy of a toilet. But knowing how resourceful Jared can be, Jensen doesn't doubt that Jared could live outside, never needing to step foot into the trailer. Only for warmth and getting out of inclement weather. He shuts off the lights, putting the shirt back on as he moves to lay face-down on the futon mattress that has new, cleaner sheets.

Jensen closes his eyes, pulling the thin draw sheet over his body to try and catch a snooze or maybe a deeper sleep than usual.

Outside, Jared attempts to do the same as he senses the strong connection with the Omega and needs to power-down, resting for a while. It's possibly an hour or so later when Jared hears, and feels, Jensen growing restless...

 

**== &&==&&==&&==**   
**TBC...**


	3. Chapter 3

Jensen wakes himself just as he feels the pangs start. He groans inwardly, quickly slipping out of his clothes to lay on his back, then rethinks to get up and grab an extra-large towel to place under himself. As he settles down on the mattress, he closes his eyes and deep breathes, but it's almost involuntary that his legs twitch to bend, feet flat to the bed as he slides hands down ribcage to grab thighs. His hands forms fists and softly pound, rolling his body as he gives a small cry out with hitched breathes. Jensen opens his hands to clamp over the top of his thighs, like he's trying to spread them wider than they can go; he's deftly lifting them, bringing legs to his chest. He hooks a forearm at the backs of his knees, pushing out to open his hole to air. He throws his head backward, clenching teeth and trying to control breathing as his body begins to shake. He feels his walls tighten in emptiness, then a sharp jolt as lubricant shoots out, coating his rectum and, as he bears down at the feel of release, the slick oozes out, covering his puckered skin and slipping down to drop onto the towel.

“...ohgod!” Jensen lets go of his legs, unable to lower them, his body bracing for another release to ejaculate. He begins to feel the quake of his thighs, thrusting up twice, then back once and he arcs upward to roll to the left a little. Like he will turn over to rest face-down with ass up in desperation for a knot. He goes through another anal orgasm, this time turning on his left side to draw his right leg up to his chest so he can gape his hole and shoot with some type of comfort. 

The trailer door is yanked open, but Jensen doesn't twist to see who's there—knowing its Jared. In the darkness, Jared manages to find his way to the futon, just sitting on the mattress near Jensen's legs. He latches a hand on the extended left leg, soothing up the thigh. He says nothing, only breathes as he caresses.

Opening his eyes, Jensen lays with cheek plastered to the bed. “...alpha...please...”

Jared cups his hand around the chunk of the thigh to ride along to the apex of the legs, under-gripping the genitals, sliding fingers against the perineum to the slicked hole. “...I'm here...ssshhh...I'm here...” He bends low to kiss up the body and lay against Jensen's back, flush with his whole frame, but still in clothes. Jared presses lips to the spot between shoulder blades, then traces nosetip to the nape...he startles to smell his own favorite shampoo on the short hairs, burying his face away. “...stay on your side, but roll into me...push yourself as hard as you can against my chest...”

Jensen follows the command, his right arm trying to reach behind to hold Jared to him, but then stops to make a fist and tuck his arm to his own chest. He only does exactly what Jared tells him, pushing hard backward into the bare chest wall. He recalls how he can't touch Jared without permission; no hands, just push his body to the Alpha. Jared helps him lower the right leg, then, once Jensen's legs are both straightened, he bends his own right leg to tuck through to ride along the inner thigh, setting the bulk of his own thigh under the leaking hole and along the underside of the groin. Jensen shuts his eyes in bliss, pressing back into the massive naked torso that's burning against his flesh. He shifts his hand to turn and lock over his shoulder. Jensen can already feel his body calming, close to relaxation, but he can't deny he feels like riding the thigh between his own, feels too good having the Alpha this close and secure about his naked form. He keeps his lids shut, breathing steady.

Jared draws his hand up, from right thigh to hip, then along mid-chest to hold his huge palm against the flat of the Omega's collar bone. As Jensen eases back into light slumber, Jared feels a bit harried, having woken from a dead sleep where he'd been knotting faceless holes, feeling the loss of a special mate...to wake up and hear Jensen's cries and whimpering. He had paused before entering the trailer, only because he still had an idea the door was locked, but it hadn't been. He has tucked away the spare key, into a jean pocket, then had opened the door to smell the slick and Jensen's potency. He had popped an erection instantly but his knot hadn't swollen; the sups slowly had been wearing down. By mid-morning, Jared knows he won't be able to stop himself from taking Jensen, possibly roughly knotting him to claim as his mate.

Jared shuts his own eyes, leaning forward to kiss a shoulder, then trails lips and tongue along the shoulder blade to end with a series of shortened long kisses to Jensen's nape, while he nuzzles the sweet-smelling hair. It isn't long before Jensen's slumbering drowns around him, pulling him under...

==&&==&&==&&==

Jensen swears he's been woken at pre-dawn, just when blue light fills the sky. Jared had pulled away in the futon, making him whimper but soft whispers calmed him as strong arms swept him up, holding him to a warm chest of solid muscles. He had been carried into the back bedroom, placed on top of the covers; the blankets on one side had been pulled back to make a spot for him to crawl into.

“...get in...” The gruff order had been given and Jensen had hurriedly gone to settle on his right side, this time moving toward the wall to offer Jared the space made behind him. Jensen had remained as stiff as he could, until Jared had climbed in, with clothes still on; Jensen was growing used to the roughness of soft-washed denim on his bare skin. Jared had tucked his left thigh in the same manner, and Jensen had returned to pushing backward against Jared.

Jensen remembers this but doesn't know how quickly he had fallen back asleep, or when Jared had joined him for a short nap, before he had woken to dress and leave the trailer...to then leave the whole camp. Jared had taken the truck this time. Jensen had slept decently, for a while, but had begun to become restless around nine in the morning. He hadn't felt like getting out of bed, so he had flipped onto his back, hearing how achingly silent the camp and trailer had become without Jared's presence. He rolls again, moving face-down and he reaches out to extend an arm to where Jared had been. Leftover heat and scent pull Jensen in, face-planting into Jared's pillows. He feels the initial jolt of arousal, but then nothing more, leaving him with a semi-hard on and a partially wet hole...then he becomes sleepy and instantly crashes—hard.

Jensen doesn't wake again until close to late afternoon. He doesn't get out of bed immediately; he ruminates in Jared's bed, just fantasizing that things are different...and he and the Alpha were together. Jared is out, away from their “home”, at work to soon return from his tough day. Jensen manages to crawl off the mattress, making it into the bath, using the toilet and taking a long shower on his own. He's not completely ravenous, just oddly thirsty. It's unusually warm out for being Fall, so Jensen steps outdoors to check out the layout of the camp, needing to touch Jared's things. Jensen nearly orgasms the second he walks around to spy Jared's motorcycle—-the traditional Harley; it's beautiful and massive, just like the Alpha who owns it. But almost as quick as he's aroused, then there's this weird jolt of sadness as if he knows fellow pack members who've died riding their cycles. 

It's becoming darker outside, losing sunlight, and Jensen goes ahead to build a proper campfire; he places a folding chair right at a good spot where he can see the truck and enjoy the pleasures of the fire. He's so on-edge and scared out of his wits...he's not able to focus on his heat, only when Jared would return. Just as he's falling asleep, napping, the sound of the truck approaching wakes him. He plasters a grin on his face, expecting Jared to be happy to see him, noticing that he was still alive and had sense enough to build his own fire.

The truck comes to a jarring halt, Jared leaves the driver door open as he stomps over to slide layers of dirt over Jensen's fire. “...get inside!...now!...”

Jensen is so stunned and disturbed he bolts in obedience. He enters the trailer, having converted the futon back to its couch form. He sits there in silent misery, waiting for his punishment. He has obviously done something wrong to piss Jared off.

It's a bit longer of a wait before Jared enters the trailer. He carries in a few bags off his fingers, placing them on the floor in the kitchenette. He walks one over to hand to Jensen. “...Sandy sends her 'love'...”

Jensen tries to grab for the handles but only snatches the bulk of what's in the bag. He's not sure he deserves this stuff, not until he knows what he's done wrong.

Jared paces toward his bedroom, sliding the privacy door closed.

Jensen realizes he has time to see what's actually in the bag. Again...his cousin had sent him food—yes, mostly sweets, but she also gave him a few more items that had the appearance of being from his Aunt. He feels tears build at the back of his eyes, so he stretches out along the length of the couch, turning toward the back cushion, placing an arm over his face in guilt and shame.

Back in his bedroom, Jared paces the minimal floorspace he has beside the left of his double bed, almost feeling like a raging caged animal about to attack for no good reason. Jared had left this morning, feeling pretty good, confident that he would check-in with his freelance boss—a local bail-bonds man—then run a few errands around town. He had wanted to check out Hartley's crew, see who this new Alpha was who had ordered Jensen left for dead. It was surprisingly easy to investigate since the people in town were beginning to have enough of these delinquent 'cubs' and tired of choosing to ignore that they did more than just harm other pack members, but were trying to terrorize “innocents”, which is a huge pack “no-no”.

While he had questioned some of those particular innocents, Jared had found time to break away afterward to do some light grocery shopping and had gone to an actual department store to buy Jensen his own set of clothes. He had even bought him his own toothbrush, a comb, some shaving cream, a razor and the shampoo the Omega had used on his hair last night—everything Jensen would need to feel normal, like he hasn't been kept prisoner. Jared wasn't sure how long their mating sessions would take, but had known that normally the first few days...well, Jensen won't need any clothing. Once they got to know one another, more comfortable, tapering off the need to keep knotting...Jensen would need to wear clothes that fit him.

Jared went so far as to buy some rather personal, yet overtly secretive things concerning their knotting and items they could use once they knew Jensen would be carrying. He didn't want Jensen to feel like he wasn't being treated fairly or disrespected. Jared knew he was about to go overboard when he wandered into the areas of where the 'pup' furniture was for sale, and all the clothing and accessories needed once the newborn was here. Not only did it nearly shatter Jared's icy heart, but he found himself feeling pangs and some agony over being so far from Jensen, like he had to get home right away. The time was well-beyond sundown, and Jared was already a little frustrated by what he had found out about Hartley and Jensen's near-fatal beating. 

He had ended up stopping to gas at the truck stop; Sandra and Danneel were there...Sandra had given him that “care package” to hand to Jensen. Jared had tried to play the moment off that he had no idea what Sandy had meant. Sandy had winked, having chatted with her mother and had learned about Jensen's new Alpha mate...and how he would be taking care of Jensen from now on. Jared had said nothing, not even acknowledging if Sandra was right or wrong. Danneel had seemed extra playful and ultra horny, following him back to his truck, wanting to send him off with a blowjob or a handjob. Honestly, Jared hadn't even felt an ounce of the arousal he typically had for her, now that he was fully off his sups. Of course, Danneel had given him a few choice words about what she thought of him, in that very moment of rejection, then almost started taunting Jared with the possibility that his new “mate”—this pretty Omega—had a whole bunch of fallacies and inadequacies that made him less than what he already was as a pack member. Jared had to drive off before he was about to rip Danneel's throat apart. 

And that was why he had such a short fuse when he approached the camp, seeing the billow of smoke and orange glow of flames...and he was a snarling beast over Jensen. The only thing was that Jared never built fires between certain hours, just so those who were still awake weren't going to see his camp from a distance, and just after sunset was one of those times. But the Omega hadn't known that, Jared had still nearly bitten Jensen's head off without cause.

Changing out of his clothes into more comfortable ones, Jared steps out into the main rooms of the trailer to find Jensen has passed out, asleep, his “care package” having fallen to the floor, untouched. Wandering over, Jared easily scoops Jensen into his arms and carries him toward the back bedroom; thankfully, Jensen never wakens. He sets the Omega down on his back, pulling the layers of covers over his body, up to the rounded shoulders. The blond head falls to the right, facing away from Jared as he stares down, then reaches out to comb back shorter locks, making sure to soothe over a flushed cheek. 

Taking a hard swallow of bile, Jared backs away, shutting the privacy door as he wanders back into the kitchenette to start to take out the food he bought for dinner. Eventually, while supper is heating on the stovetop, he'll unpack and put away all his purchases.

==&&==&&==&&==

Jensen wakes to the smell of really good food, feeling less achy and content...then realizes he's been placed in Jared's bed, under covers; the door is shut, blocking out the chance to privately watch Jared move about the trailer. Jensen grabs the remote off the bedside table, turning on the television with the volume set low. He'll stay put where he is, keep out of Jared's way. 

At some point, Jared does wander over and slides the door open, but he's there to pick up dirty clothes. “If you're hungry, I'll have food ready, shortly.” Then the silent Alpha is gone.

Jensen decides he won't move until he hears Jared make a plate of his own. He stays in the space on the mattress he's always been, occasionally leaning over to watch what the Alpha's hulking form does as he clomps back and forth between the sides of the kitchenette and then to the front of the trailer. Jensen is curious to what is going on, so he throws off the covers, turning off the TV. He's sitting on the side of the bed when he hears the slam of the trailer front door. Even more strange, Jensen leans back on the mattress to peek out the windows. Jared has gone to the clothesline, pulling something off the rope to place over a shoulder. As the trailer's structure shakes with the Alpha's return, Jensen starts to stand, walking out of the bedroom. And then he stops, jaw almost to the floor.

With the futon in the couch-form, Jared has been able to pull-out the long dinette table. What Jared has in his hands is a plain tablecloth, nothing fancy, but the fact he thinks this dinner calls for a tablecloth makes the hairs on Jensen's nape stand on end. He actually has to put a hand to his chest, keeping his heart from tipping out of his chest.

“...holy shit...”

Jared spins, then shuffles over to hold out a chair for the Omega to take. He grabs the back of the chair rungs, hands tight-knuckled. “I don't do this often. I mostly eat off the grill or from the campfire. If I'm not really looking for much effort, it's microwave meals for one.”

“I'm afraid to ask what I did to deserve this.” Jensen glances at the tiny stove and the burners, then back to the Alpha, but he soon drops his eyes to the floor. “You sure didn't give me the impression you were pleased to see I was still here...”

Jared puts up a hand, warding off Jensen's diatribe of hurt, which needs to be vocalized. “I'm sorry.” He blinks slow with a swallow. A hand goes into the palm of the other as he nervously cracks his knuckles. “I'm not use to anyone being here but me.” Jared gives a side-smile, but it dissolves once he realizes he's leaning on the notion of balls-out honesty tonight. He can't tell what's pushing him to confess, but it'll make for a very compelling dinner conversation. “I freaked on you, and that wasn't fair of me. See...I've been alone here for so long, the idea of anyone finding me just because they see a fire or can detect smoke through the trees...makes me on-edge...”

“...big bad wolves, again...” At Jared's slow nod, Jensen thinks he understands now as he crosses his arms. “...you made the fire last night, but it was after 11pm.” He bows his head in mild shame. “...now it's my turn to apologize...” As his eyes wander around, he can't help but notice the piles of new clothes set out for him: new shoes, a jacket and a bagful of personal bathroom items. “...oh, fuckme...” Jared strolls over, staring down at everything in amazement that sits on the futon couch. “Did we suddenly time-travel to my birthday...or Christmas?”

Jared lets out a soft laugh, twisting to stand behind Jensen, facing him on the left side. “I figure, if you plan on being here for a while,” he gulps down saliva. “...well, you need more than what you showed up with. My clothes won't fit you, though I know the saggy-bottom look is all the rage...”

Jensen snorts a laugh as he feels almost giddy as a school kid. “...dude, this is so overkill, you don't even know. But...fuck if I don't need most of this shit.” He looks down, then lifts his head to side-eye Jared. “You truly don't mind me bein' here? Stayin' for...well, until I'm...not dead?”

Jared steps right to Jensen, front of his body molding around the entire left side. He settles his hand on the skin of the nape, shifting his eyes to look over the shorter hair. He draws his fingertips to trace up, scratch the scalp, then massages through the crown of Jensen's head. “...the shorter cut makes you look different...” Jared hadn't truly gotten a good look last night, and watching the Omega sleep with mussed hair wasn't really going to help much when he was upright and green eyes looked intensely at him.

“mmm...how different?”

Jared lets air out of his nostrils. “...older...sexier...” He brushes a few knuckles down the side of the flushed cheek. “Had you been home, with your pack...it wouldn't have taken you very long to find yourself an Alpha to want to knot you...”

“...shit...” Something like that still smarts when said aloud. Jensen knows Jared doesn't mean it the way others intend it to, but it borders on his “pretty” looks and how much of a “girly-man” he can appear sometimes. “...I wish my worth could stop being equated to this—need to fill my womb with some knothead's seed...”

Jared flinches, pulling his hand away, tilting his head in curiosity. “Given the pack you were following, I'm not shocked you think being an Omega is some kind of punishment...or it degrades you somehow...”

“I don't think it's a punishment—or degrading. It's just a lot of fuckin' work...I go through what I go through with my heats for what other purpose than to have 'pups'.” Jensen shrugs, turning around to walk past Jared, taking his seat at the empty place setting for him.

“...well...nice attitude to have at a time when you need an Alpha the most.” Jared bites his lips to wander over, grabbing plates and utensils. He plops them down in front of Jensen. “Make yourself useful.”

Jensen scuffs, then snickers with the shake of his head. Jared had been weird before, this was the Jared he knew; if the Alpha didn't snap commands at him to obey then Jensen would know something was up. He stands quickly to set down their plates, then matches their silverware. He moves to find where the plastic cups are kept, holding the stack of them to show Jared. “Is this cool?” Jensen didn't want to bring out fancy glassware.

“...sure...” Jared gives Jensen a brief look. “...whatever.” He realizes, all to quickly, that he can't shift into Rico Suave after the way he's been with Jensen since he found him. It has to be more natural, less creepy. “I've got beer in the fridge...more beer outside...a few bottles of wine...”

“You have harder alcohol?”

“I might.” Jared turns off the burners, picking up pot holders so he can put pans on the other end of the long dinette table. “...you aren't a huge drinker, are you?”

Jensen shakes his head, going toward the bag Sandra, and his Aunt, had sent to him via Jared. He takes out the soda bottles and the cake slice tins. He puts one bottle down, carrying the other bottle and the desserts to the fridge. “You want ice?”

Jared declines with the shake of his head. “I'm havin' just the beer...but thanks.”

Jensen tips his fingers to Jared as the Alpha finally sits down, pouring out his beer into the cup. Jensen plops four cubes in his cup, walking the freezer bucket back. It's as he takes his seat, watching Jared fold those huge hands to bow his dark head as if secretly uttering a blessing over the meal that Jensen wishes to take back what he said earlier. Jared, barring his abrasive ways, has been an awesome Alpha...a surprisingly tender and giving pack member who seems to not mind being pack-less. “I wasn't talkin' 'bout you, by the way.” He starts dishing out food onto his plate. “...god, smell that! Fuck...I'm more hungry than I thought.”

Jared doesn't even acknowledge the half-assed apology. He wipes a napkin over his mouth, watching Jensen dig into his meal with the stomach of any ravenous young male. “How did your day go? Any episodes?” He doesn't know what he's trying to look for, like surefire proof Jensen can't live on without him being there 24/7?

“...nope...none...” Jensen sounds proud of this fact.

“At all?” Jared can't believe that.

“...well, I did sleep most of the day, in your bedroom.” Jensen coughs into his hand, then sips at the soda. “...thanks, by the way. I think that helped me more than you know.”

Jared chews slow, his brow furrowing. He's confused a little. Did Jensen not understand what admitting that actually meant? “Tell me what you know about mating with an Alpha.”

“...huh?” What in the hell was Jared doing to him?

“...nothing to do with knotting, but just...what do you know about how your body, as an Omega, reacts hormonally and instinctively toward an Alpha you, uh...feel aroused by or...attracted to?”

Jensen just stares across at Jared, dipping his head to use his fork to take smaller bites. “This feels like a trick question to get me to say something I'm either wrong about or don't know the full extent of.”

“Are you one of those Omegas who assumes it's because an Alpha is simply around that your body just...craves at the get-go?”

“I don't get turned on by Alphas. I have a weird draw to them 'cuz of my lower status...you know, to obey, but I've never...” Jensen swallows the food with a wash of soda. “I have my heats and...sometimes, not often, I feel the need to release...to orgasm, but...through my dick, not from my...” He scratches at his head, squirming in his chair. “...should we really be discussing this over food? I feel a little...exposed.”

Jared takes a quick gulp of beer, elbow on the table as he leans forward. “I think you and I have gone beyond the embarrassment phase. I've seen your dick...not to mention your hole...I've watched, and listened, to you come...falling to pieces right in my arms...” He nearly chokes on that last comment.

“...jesus...” Jensen almost spits out his bite of chicken, needing to swallow some more soda.

Jared notices the blush creep along Jensen's face, he reaches out a hand to clamp over Jensen's on the table; his finger soothe at the shape of the delicate wrist. “I'm afraid to tell you, Jensen...that you have so much more to learn about yourself...your Omega status...and me, in my uh...knothead mentality.” He takes his hand away to rest his chin on. “We always reject what we fear or don't understand. You don't wanna wither away and die during this heat, but you fear knotting or Alphas...most sadly, you don't even want to get to know your own body and why it reacts the way it does.”

Jensen puts down his fork, unable to eat anymore. His gut clenches and he feels like Jared's piercing eyes are boring holes through his brain. He clears his throat. “I think if I did knot with an Alpha...I'd, uhm...” Jensen scratches a thumbnail over his eyebrow. “...christ...did it suddenly get hot in here?” He forcefully pushes back his chair, grabs his cup and leaves the trailer.

Jared briefly stares down, surprised that even though it looks as if his attempts to seduce Jensen have failed, he has won something...the proper “in” to being a teacher to a scared-but-willing student. It'll take his mind off the worry he feels about timing the knotting with Jensen. 

As long as it's after midnight, he can knot Jensen anytime, being at his most fertile. Saving Jensen from the worry of dying, but, also...well, Jared really has to stop this need to project his wants and needs onto Jensen. He has to be patient, wait out the moment. He drinks the rest of his beer, then heads to the fridge to grab two more—one for him, one for Jensen.

Time to go woo the reluctant Omega...

==&&==&&==&&==

Jensen is sitting in the folding chair he had brought out earlier, near the dead campfire. He watches Jared come out, relighting the flames and then catches the beer being held out to him, with a fleece blanket. “...thanks, man.”

“Don't ever leave without taking a flashlight.” Jared hands him a tiny, compact one for his pocket. “You don't know what lurks out here in the dark.” He plops down on the hard ground, to the right of where Jensen sits, beer bottle set beside him as he tucks in his bent legs. “...and don't ever leave the dinner table without, at least, some appreciation for your chef's hard work. I don't cook often, so...don't, literally, bite the hand that feeds you.”

Jensen can't help it...he laughs. As he laughs, he leans his head back. “so, uh...what do we do, huh? You know all my dirty little secrets. Know that I've still got a naive...virginal mentality about my sexual nature. You know my fears...my body...so, what do you do from here?” He looks at his watch. “It's still too early to be hittin' the pack clubs...or, uh...pack bars, since I see you enjoy your hog. Is there a nice pack biker bar where you can find me a sweet-ass teddy bear of an Alpha...and you—what?...do you pimp me out to him and there's a VIP, or a Champagne Room, where he can take me? Or do we just, uhm...all leave together and find ourselves a no-tell motel room where he knots me 'til I'm not gonna die any longer?...oh, an'...will you be there...watching?”

Now it's Jared's turn to lose it. He doubles over in a loud body-rocking laugh, falling backward on the bare ground to stretch his legs out. “I do love your warped mind, Omega.” He relaxes quite loosely on his elbows, still chuckling as he talks. “This is what you've been assuming I meant when I told you I was going to help you get through this? That I'm not letting you die?”

Jensen shrugs his shoulder, grinning like a fool because he thinks he's seen Jared at his most beautiful. That laugh...the way the huge frame had shaken and bent, swaying with every jolt of a belly-gut guffaw...and Jensen had done that to Jared. “Was I right about anything?”

“...oh, man...” Jared wipes the tears of laughter from his eyes. “I am amazed you haven't died prior to these moments. Working yourself into an ulcer or an early heart attack.”

“...please...tell me what I got right...”

Jared nods to concede. “...yes, I'll be there...and not only will I be watching, I'll be participating.”

“...oh, god—dammit!” Jensen throws the fleece blanket over his entire face in embarrassment as he sinks much lower in the fold-out camp chair. “...leave me out here, on my own...I'll die a humble, yet proper death.”

“...jesus, Jen...” Jared sits upright, legs bending as he scoots over to make more space, patting the bare spot in the dirt next to him. “Get the fuck over here.”

The minute Jensen hears his shortened name, he glances at the Alpha, still shocked by the ghost of a smile playing over that big gorgeous face. “I really am 24...a year older than Sandy.” It takes him awhile to stand, but once he does, he walks precariously on his feet toward Jared. “I did graduate high school...tried college for two years, dropped out in my third...I am kind of wickedly smart, but—yeah...I can be dumb about some things.” Jensen means the whole beat-down with Hartley's pack. He faces the firelight, then crouches in order to make sure he's not going to suddenly sit in some mud of a pile of bear-shit.

Jared curiously eyes Jensen's slow descent to his butt, then watches him sit cross-legged to his left. He happens to stare harder when the Omega tucks himself under the thick fleece. “You'll overheat soon.” Jared whips the blanket off to simply lay against Jensen's back. “Better?”

“...yeah-yes...thanks.” Jensen touches the same area the Alpha had on his neck and nape, then stares into the flames. “...what's gonna happen to me, Jared?”

Jared drops his gaze, making his face turn serious. “You're gonna live a long life, Jen...it's just...” He raises his chin to stare into the same firelight. “...right now, it's best to let what happens...happen. To not question it so damn much, and to stop worrying like an old lady.”

“no...I meant about my knotting.”

Jared takes a long swig of beer. “I know what you meant, Jensen.”

“You won't tell me?” Jensen presses his lower face into his shoulder as he looks at Jared. “Better to keep me in suspense?”

“It seems to work best for you if it's told to you as it happens...I get more rawness and honesty from you.” Jared averts his eyes, staring through the fire now to the side of the silver-toned trailer. “I like that...I liked watching you free in your body...” he keeps lifting his chin high, like he has some reason to boast about Jensen's reaction. “...liked seeing you give over control and just letting your release sweep through, and over, you...it's an Omega at their most beautiful...” Jared softens his voice over that last portion.

Jensen shivers at the use of that phrase. He had been talking about Jared, while Jared had just waxes poetic about Omegas—both of them using the same words. He knows it shouldn't hurt him to be thought of as his status first, then himself second...but it does make him uncomfortable. Jensen isn't about to have feelings that never go both ways. He knows plenty of Alphas who throw out emotions frivolously then take them back when they reject you. Yes...he's known heartbreak and no, he's not losing his wits for an Alpha a second time. 

“Can I sit out here with you before I go back in?'

Jared sits up straighter, thinking that the Omega was now simply asking for some company, nothing nefarious or intimate. “You getting cold?”

“No...uh, I'll clean off the table and put the food away.” Jensen bows his head in the span of his arms as they rest on his bent knees. “Then I need to look over the things you bought me, get everything squared away. Possibly go to bed early tonight. I still feel a bit tired.” He hides a yawn in his biceps.

Jared nods his head in acceptance. He brings up an arm to settle about Jensen's shoulders. He pulls the Omega close as he twists his head to lean lower cheek and jaw along the temple. “...please...don't be afraid of what might happen. Not sayin' it's for your own good—even though it keeps you alive, but...to some Alphas, you're a precious member of pack life we can't afford to lose.”

Jensen hears it, the hitch in Jared's voice. Either he, himself, lost an Omega or he'd been close to one that was now, more than likely, dead. He wanted to turn into Jared, burying his face in that long warm neck, but just as quickly as he'd been grabbed, he was denied that intimate closeness and kept away. 

Jared keeps the “friendly” arm about his shoulders, but that was it.

==&&==&&==&&==

Jensen is woken out of a dead sleep at the first clap of thunder and the crack of lightning. He's about to throw off the thin sheet of covers to head outdoors and see if Jared made it back in. But as he kicks away the linen, the trailer door opens, a hunched rain-tarp wearing form locks the door, then takes off the material to let it land on the floor and drip-dry.

“...mygod...it sounds like Hell out there.” Jensen rolls over to look out the huge front window above the trailer's hitch.

“It's coming down hard.” Jared combs through his wet locks, moving to sit at the table to take off his heavy boots. Once he had smelled the imminent arrival of the rain coming, he had gone around and covered all that he could in record time just as the downpour had started. He had brought in baskets of laundry first, that now grace the kitchenette's floor.

Jensen scrambles out of bed to grab Jared a towel, but finds he doesn't have to go far. “...shit, man...” He dips low to take out a folded towel. “...why didn't you wake me? I coulda helped you.” Jensen shakes out the material, then drops the towel on Jared's wet head, moving to sit on the side of the mattress.

Jared scrubs at his head quietly, then lets the towel shape around his neck. “I'm sorry...I'm gonna have to sleep in here tonight.”

Jensen frowns to why Jared would feel the need to apologize when this was his trailer. “Of course you have to. Tha's stupid to sleep out there even in a tent.”

Jared stands, turning to walk toward his bedroom. “If you need anything...I'll be up...”

“Jared...” Jensen wrinkles his brow in a sudden need to keep Jared out here, instead of running away. He scrambles for something to say or ask.

“...what?”

“It just occurred to me that we've come this far...an' I've never 'thanked' you...once.”

“You don't have to.” Jared is about to spin on his feet, but stops.

“Yes, I do.” Jensen nods his head on a solid bounce.

“It's not needed.”

“...well, too bad, Alpha...suck it in an' take it...” Jensen smirks, but then watches the tall Alpha advance on him with a scowl.

“...wanna say that to me again...” Just as Jared approaches the futon...the Omega is rising to his own bare feet. “...but worded differently?”

Jensen lifts his chin with pride and some confidence. “...no...”

Jared drops the towel, stepping toe-to-toe with Jensen, grabs his arms and pulls him flush with his wet clothes. Hard hands slip around, tracing the shape of the back, then palms the ass. He has no idea what he's trying to accomplish, but it's glaring how warm he's starting to feel with Jensen's hot, soft dryness pressing against his cold, hard wetness... 

Jensen gulps as his hands are bent and trapped between their bodies. He thought about pushing against Jared's chest, wall, but remembers he can't touch... “...ohgod...” He doesn't lift his head, but he knows blown-out hazel eyes stare down at him intensely. “...I-I-I'm sorry...meant no disrespect...”

And just like that...Jensen is released and Jared is gone, safely shut behind the privacy door of his bedroom.

Jensen feels a severe pin-point of arousal hit him and eyes roll in the back of his head as he drops to the mattress, falling backward to push the wave through his body, like he can just shake off that kind of intense sensation. He had felt the hardness...the length of the cock beneath the wet denim and once he had been pushed against the warm groin, he had felt the swelling knot...the heat, the throb...a pulsating sensation that just finished washing over him. 

God. Damn.

Jensen shoots up straight, comprehending exactly what was just proven to him. Yes...Jared would be there...yes, yes, Jared would watch and participate, because the Alpha would be the one offering him his knot, essentially rendering Jensen revived back to the living. No longer cursed in this foolishness. Knowing wolf pack history, he bet there was some ancient wisdom or myths linked that swore a certain sacredness was about to occur in his heat, probably in his body. He storms across the trailer, sliding the door back.

“...hey—!” Jared is about to roll one shoulder to slip out of his soaked button-down shirt when Jensen barges in. “I know you didn't just do that!”

“What?! This?!” Jensen makes a “face” as he keeps sliding the door open, then closed. He repeats this on a single rotation to annoy Jared.

Jared stomps over to slide it back one time and holds it open. “You don't come into my room unless I invite you.”

“I know! And don't touch you without permission. I got it! I get it!” Jensen narrows his gaze on the Alpha's seething features. “But what I don't get is how you expect to knot me if I'm all the way out here...” He shoves his way in, hearing the shocked intake of breath. “...yeah, yeah...I figured it all out in the last few minutes...told you I was kinda dumb but wicked smart...” Jensen moves to stand as far against the distant wall as he can away from Jared's wrath. “...you're hidden safe in here, where obviously I'm not...”

“Get out of my room, Jen.” Jared tries to smooth his tone evenly.

“No.” Jensen folds his arms, planting his feet.

“...please, Jen...” Jared's never begged before, or shown much weakness with the Omega. He'll try not to be completely vulnerable, but it's gonna be tough. “...this isn't a joke an' I'm not trying to boss you around.” Jared takes a deep breath, pushing out his chest. “Get out of my room before I hurt you.”

Jensen thinks Jared means physically hurt him, so he puffs out his chest as well, straightens his shoulders and stands his ground. “I dare you to hit me...just once...”

Jared shifts to the other side of the doorway, leaning heavily on the molding. “...I'm not gonna hit you, Jen...but I won't be responsible for my actions—if you don't leave my room right this fuckin' second...”

Jensen doesn't know why he feels like crying, actually sobbing a few tears. “Tell me what's wrong with me.”

“...huh?” Jared darts his head toward Jensen, his eyes going wide.

“...tell me what is so god-damn fuckin' wrong with me that you can't trust me. Or let me in. Let me in close enough to touch...yet you can touch me all you want, like you just did out there...”

“...m'sorry...i's not you, i's me...”

“eh...you said that already, but I can't help thinkin' it's a load of bullshit or...” Jensen slowly closes in on Jared, his brow wrinkling as he notices that the Alpha's almost feverish, maybe going delirious with something that hasn't filled his body in years. All because he wants to give Jensen his knot. There's a buried kindness in Jared's heart that's unseen through all this tough guy bravado. He reaches out to grab the dangling lapels of the open shirt. “...someone cruelly made you believe that who you are deep down inside made something...happen that wasn't supposed to...” As green eyes slide up the body, Jensen connects with the averted gaze to see he's coming too near to the truth. “...something fatal or...tragic, maybe...”

Jared twists his face completely away, staring at the forearm he has braced on the doorway. “...she wasn't supposed to die before me...”

“...who?” Jensen goes still at such a hushed set of words uttered. 

“...Megs...uh, Meghan...” Jared shakes his head. “...my little sister...”

“...jesus, jay...” Jensen sweeps his hands backward to hold Jared's sides with the shirt clumped into his fists. “What—? Was she—?”

“...she was Omega—like you.” Jared drops his eyes to Jensen's mouth, licking his own lips to then blink slowly as he raises his gaze to Jensen's own eyes. “But she knew—she couldn't wait for her second heat...she had a mate...Mr. Fuckin' Perfect, in her eyes,” he snarls out as he glances away. “She wanted to carry his 'pups'...wanted that fantasy white wedding—wedded fucking bliss...wanted to build a long life an' knew she could...”

Jensen frowns deeply, because though this is starting rather pleasantly, he doubts there's a happy ending...especially with the statement Jared began with. “What happened?”

“It was all perfectly planned.” Jared snaps his head, chin down to chest. He's looking at Jensen's bare forearm, closely spying the dark blond hair in the direction they sweep over the shape. “Right down to the last second. Every time I was with her, she went on-and-on about how she would seduce him to her bed, at the right time to ensure she'd get pregnant.” Jared swallows hard, blinking slow to raise his head, but can't look directly at Jensen, even knowing he's staring at him. He leans on his own forearm on the door. “But she never got to the apartment, never bought the evening dress or the night gown she had been thinking of purchasing for this very night...” He almost tries to hide his face away, mumbling out the words as if they can't come out of his throat any other way. “...they took her...right out of her car at a stoplight...”

Jensen has to dip closer to Jared to even hear his voice. “Who did?”

“Two guys—humans...hired by an ex-pack member of Meghan's Alpha. Someone who knew everything about her second heat and how vulnerable she'd be...” Jared closes his eyes, tears falling slowly. “...not to mention how susceptible she'd be to craving sex...”

“...jesus christ...” Jensen covers a hand over his mouth. “...they raped her?”

“No.” Jared shuts his lids, wiping hard under each eye. “Thank god. I'd be dead or in prison for killing her useless piece of shit Alpha. No...” He clears his throat, trying to stand upright and not slouch, but it's hard when he simply wants to curl into a fetal position and bawl his eyes out at the loss. “...bein' human, her kidnappers didn't know what was going on. They thought they were helping her, but she fell...in one of her throes...” Jared motions to somewhere on his own head where Meghan had knocked herself unconscious, never to wake ever again. “...and hit her head...never regained consciousness...she went into a coma...” He tightens his lips, swishing them form side to side, shaking a bit at how upset this still made him. “I had to watch her slowly wither away and die...so stupid, huh?” Jared snortles out through his nostrils, not finding it funny at all.

Jensen is attempting to not want to take Jared into his arms and hold him, never let him go; they can cry together however long the Alpha needs. “Her Alpha...what did he—? Did he do anything?”

“What could he do?” Jared shrugs his shoulder, tilting his head to the side. “Kind of bad form to try and knot your mate while she's in a coma.” When he saw Jensen looks away, then draw his hands back a bit, he thought he'd loose the warm connection—the soft contact of another pack member. Jared pushed out his hips slightly, letting Jensen's grip fall somewhere near his waistline. “He bailed once he knew she wasn't going to regain consciousness and we couldn't do much else but watch her die.”

“christ...” Jensen shakes his head with his own rage building. He takes a hand away to swipe over his face, but then puts it back since Jared hasn't knocked his touch off. “...what a swell mate, huh? They did catch those guys, right? The ones who took her?”

“...uh, yes...they turned themselves in. Confessed it all. They hadn't been hired to murder anyone...just supposed to scare her from mating...”

“The ex-pack member? What, uh...what were they to your sister's mate?”

“An ex-mate who doesn't like sharing. When he left his old pack, after getting kicked out, he didn't take his mates with him. He settled down with my sister, joined our pack...got cozy with lead Alpha...” This is another part of the story that often gets under Jared's skin, because Meghan had almost gotten him to be seduced by her mate into liking him. The guy was going to be family, after all. “...and while I had to mourn my sister, then bury her...he was allowed to live and move on...mate again to another Omega.”

Jensen doesn't care, he lets go of the shirt to wrap both arms around Jared's waist, low and tight. He presses into the strong muscles, laying a cheek on the warm bare skin. “I'm so fuckin' sorry, man...no wonder I kept prickling your skin. I must've annoyed the shit outta you.” He relaxes a bit when he feels the two arms loosely embrace him, but not as tight as he's holding.  
The hands pat at his back as if just to be somewhat friendly not overly intimate or close.  
“...no...hardly...” Jared tilts more to lean on the doorway once Jensen straightens his head to draw backward. He shapes his hands around the dark blond hair. “...though I do act like I'm annoyed.” The hair is soft and silky under his palms, and he wants to bury his face in it. 

Jensen can't help it...he pulls Jared back into his arms. Jared hesitates in sending hands over Jensen's back—five-fingered spread as he soothes along the curve at the dip of the lumbar spine. 

Jensen shifts to push his chin to the upper chest. “I feel...weird.”

Jared simply shuts his lids briefly, hand moving to cup the nape and comb lightly through the hair. “What do you mean?”

“I'm scared to let you go. Like if I do, I'll—you'll shut the door on my face again.”

“...sheesh...” Jared snorts a soft chuckle, then tilts his head into Jensen's, wishing he could just nuzzle the neck as freely as he feels like he could. He's frightened of scaring Jensen away too soon. “I close it for your own good, you know.”

“...because you can't bear the sight of me...” Jensen clicks his tongue against his teeth. “oh, yeah...I get it...I think I finally do understand.” He mocks a pout as he pulls away fully with his whole body. He slips along the wall, avoiding eye contact with Jared even though he's being playful. Jensen really can't look into Jared face or eyes. “You've secretly been in love with me—for years!” He leans in and whispers until that last section. “Always flirting with my cousin, but checking me out.” He pushes off the wall to stand in front of the Alpha, shifting his body with quick jarring movements to playact out the scene. “I stumble upon your camp...I'm in your web...ooo-ooo-ooo...what do you do when your secret love is in the next room?” Jensen nods his head, squinting a fake glare at Jared. “I get it...”

Jared shakes his head, chuckling deeply as he wipes at his eyes. “...you have a seriously cracked mind, I swear...”

“what?! Again?!” Jensen is flummoxed, hand to his heart. “Did I get that one wrong too?”

Jared moves to lean his back on the wall, making room for Jensen to leave. “...may I please have a bit of privacy so I can change into some dryer clothing?”

“Wow. Those were a lot of words.” Jensen stands a little higher to place the back of his hand on Jared's forehead. “...do you feel faint? Want to lay down and rest?” He slips on by, giving a narrowed snapped-glare toward Jared. “See. Doesn't take much extra effort to be nice when telling me what to do.” Jensen grabs the inset handle of the door to shut the paneling on his way out. He pauses as he hears soft snickering from inside. He goes to the fridge, grabbing milk and looking for a sauce pan. Jensen goes to his bag and grabs the Hersey chocolate bars—both of them, then proceeds to make real hot chocolate—for himself. But he'll offer to pour a mug for Jared, if he comes out.

Which Jared does, just about when Jensen pours his own cup. “Can I interest you in some of this?” He holds up the pan.

Jared sidles up to Jensen, his hand sliding along Jensen's back to cup the nape, fingers scratching at the hairline. “...you eat too many sweets.” He leans forward to look into the Omega's face. “Sandy needs to stop indulging you with those cakes.”

“...those cakes, my good Alpha...are my mom's old recipes.” Jensen grows a bit somber and quiet. “She taught me how to enjoy my food, especially the desserts.” He brings down a larger mug for Jared, almost falling against the Alpha who is directly behind him.

Jared holds onto Jensen's waist then dips low to brush against the soft hair, barely nudging the back of the neck. “...having a mug of cocoa with you is the last thing on my mind...”

Jensen shuts his eyes, having to latch onto the counter ledge. “I'm still tryin' to digest the fact that you want to be the one who knots me. I thought—I had this idea you didn't like me.”

“I don't.”

“oh...nice one, jerk.” Jensen elbows Jared away then carries both mugs to what little of the dinette table still remains sticking out. He puts one down for Jared, in front of the chair, then stands there, not sure what to do.

Jared saunters over to stand behind him, hands on his hips as he slides palms over the flat belly. As he pulls Jensen back against him, he dips his head into shoulder and neck. “...I think I could be way-past liking you once I'm inside you...”

“...jesus...”

“...get used to it, Jen...” Jared pushes his head into the back of Jensen's head. “...we can't deny what our bodies feel...” He glances down between their bodies, not surprised that Jensen's the right height to have his backside notch perfectly into Jared's groin.

“I don't know what I feel.” Jensen is feeling a helluva lot right this second. “I'm not sure how to take the, uh...weight of what this actually means.” He closes his eyes when he senses Jared brushing his face against his nape, neck and shoulder.

“...well, right now...” Jared rests his cheek on the slope of the shoulder bone. “...it doesn't have to mean anything, but tell me what you want it to mean...besides you staying alive...”

Jensen bows his head, looking at the huge hands on his body, the way they caress over his stomach and sides. “I never thought I'd even get here with an Alpha...one who wants me for me, not just 'cuz I...” He quickly spins around, sitting on the table surface, glancing up with pleading eyes at Jared. “Has it happened for you?”

“What?” Jared wrinkles his brow in bewilderment, staring down at Jensen's mouth, hating how much he wants just to taste once...

“Finding a mate?” Jensen keeps dropping his chin to chest, unable to look up at that intense gaze boring into him again. “Knowing you'd never have to keep searching?” He hopes the answer is “no”, because he doesn't know if he can deal with finding out Jared has felt this same feeling for another mate. Or thought he had. Jensen is stunned by how jealous he'll feel once he knows the truth.

Jared steps back a few inches, giving them both breathing space. “I was kind of like one of those knotheads you described, but Meghan grounded me a lot. Even without being aware.” He blinks to look away but then brings his gaze back to Jensen's green eyes looking up at him with curiosity. “I used to annoy her, tease her—I was relentless, then she just...we grew out of it and became best friends.”

“So you've never been in love? Or, uh...felt it?”

Jared smirks...why hadn't Jensen just asked this in the first place? Omega might be wicked smart, like he says, but he's surely not very subtle...

 

**== &&==&&==&&==**  
 **TBC...**


	4. Chapter 4

“No, not romantic kind.” Jared lifts an eyebrow as he responds, side-eying Jensen to keep a steady gaze on his reactions, what he says. “Why do you ask?”

Jensen bows his head, hating that he has such a checked past, possibly making him look a little sleazy. It's odd how he wants to be clean and pure for Jared. “I've been in love...or thought I was. College.” He lifts his head briefly to give out a sad smile. “The reason I didn't last.”

“Professor?” Jared knew this already, but it didn't hurt to make Jensen squirm to let him know the Omega had feelings for him.

Jensen nods in agreement, but then shakes his head in sadness. “I'm such a cliché...it's fuckin' pitiful. I, for course...” He points to his chest, to his heart, then to his temple and twists it around like he's saying he was “crazy in love”. “...got my heart broke.”

“oh...of course.” Jared snorts as Jensen shoves him, but he clamps a hand on the wrist, holding the hand to his chest. “...feel my heart...” He averts his gaze knowing that Jensen is forced to stare directly at him.

Jensen almost hurts his head from the whiplash of changing the topic of conversation. “wh—?” Darting his eyes everywhere but Jared's face, he moves his hand to cup over the left breast. “...jesus, man...” Jensen starts breathing in and out of his nostrils. “...you need to relax...” He really should take his own advice.

“I wish I could.” The hand he holds is his now, so Jared places it between the two of his own, palms are rubbing over top and bottom. “I wanna sit down in that chair, drink that cocoa you made me and talk about us...” As he talks, he can feel Jensen breathing, the short burst of air blowing over his face and body. “...or our feelings and emotions...our pasts, what we'd like for the future.” Jared smirks at himself because while all that domestication rolling around in his brain...he can't help but feel he'd be more than satisfied in the bedroom as well. He brings the hand up to kiss the palm, make the hand shape around his face as he traces parted lips down the heel to the inside of the wrist. “I want that, but I keep being flashed your naked body...the way you come...” Jared closes his eyes at the various times he both heard and watches Jensen orgasm; it makes him ache with want, a peculiar need. “...and the thought of denying both of us the feeling of my knot inside your body, makes me feel like whimpering like a little lost puppy.” He keeps turning Jensen's hand around until he's got it so their hands bond like they were in the middle of a sideways handshake.

Jensen wasn't able to not look away from Jared at all as he talked. He pushes off the table to plant feet on solid ground, then bump into Jared's chest wall; he's shockingly forced to take a few steps backward. “Tha's the second time you've mentioned being inside me...” He turns his head in curiosity, one side of his mouth quirking in suspicion. “...is this a ploy to subtly yank my crank, make me offer myself to you?”

“...it's only fair...” Jared sighs with a light snicker, staring down at Jensen from lowered lids, then holds their hands to his upper chest, between his two breast plates so the Omega can still feel his heart. “I'm letting you have my knot to keep you alive...”

“oh, boy...” Jensen rolls his then stares directly at how Jared holds his hand to his body. He licks his lips wet to go on, “...like my offering can compare to yours...christ...” He can't fathom how completely out numbered he is by Jared's offering. “Do you see how uneven we are in what we'll do for one another? You play hero to my life, while I, selfishly, take your knot...”

Jared drops the hand to reach up to cup the sides of Jensen's face, he brings their heads together, banging brows. “...god, you have no idea to the countless riches you can give me, the second I take you—knot you...” He uses the tip of his nose to nudge Jensen's face.

“...mmm, like what?” Jensen doesn't know what to do with his arms; he wants to surround them around Jared's neck, drape them over broad shoulders. But Jared gives him a new want which is to give himself over totally to his keeping, make him do all the work in touching and caressing, kissing and nuzzling, so for now he'll just close his eyes and soak it in.

Jared has moved around to land near an ear, nipping at the lobe. “...you really wanna know?”

“...mmm-hmm...” Jensen tilts his head into Jared's face.

Jared pulls away, eye narrowing on Jensen. “Why...” He makes a frantic grab for Jensen's wrists as they tried to lift so they could settle around his neck. “...'cuz you think you fuckin' owe me?” Jared gives a slight shake as he makes it seem like he's pissed or annoyed when he really isn't. He just knows what the Omega likes from him...his Alpha-side to come out and lay some ground rules.

“oh, god...” Jensen closes his eyes and sighs in contentment with a little bit of a stilted laugh in relief. “...there's the Alpha I miss...” He can feel himself go hard for just the sound of the tone of voice down to the tender roughness done to him to appear hardcore. “...I get worried when you're all sweet and romantic with me.”

Jared wants to smirk, but instead he furrows his forehead. “That isn't what you like?” He plays dumb Alpha well too.

Jensen shakes his head leaning heavily toward Jared as he switches the hold Jared has on him as Jensen gripping the top of the forearms, right at the bend of the elbow. “What Omega told you that shit actually works?”

“No Omega had to tell me anything.” Jared is a little miffed that Jensen assumes he learned everything he knows from the lower pack status. “I guessed...and, it seems...” He drops his gaze to pull away completely, which doesn't sit well with Jensen. “...I was wrong.” Playing hard-to-get is really messing with his arousal; if he doesn't do something drastic soon, he's probably going to burst at his own seams.

“well, wait...” Jensen puts out a hand, hoping to stop the Alpha from moving away to far. “I'm not totally against some smoother moves and flowery words, but don't just...” He heavily sighs, shaking his head as he stares down at the tips of bare feet, feeling kind of like a young 'cub' who has to explain himself to an authority figure. He thinks he's given Jared a not-so-great view of himself and he suddenly strip away all of their facades and lies and just go with some truth...some honesty. “I want a bit of honesty. I feel like you hold back from me, like I'm a stupid kid or I'll be a big baby an' run away screaming.”

Jared likes what he hears but he's still not cutting Jensen too much slack. “Go sit down.” He gestures to the mug and then to the futon. “Take your hot cocoa with you.”

Jensen seems a bit ticked to be told what to do when he was trying to be genuine. “...mmm, it's not as hot as it used to be...” He supposes he shouldn't ever use the tone of voice when he wanted to snap back at his mother. “...more like lukewarm cocoa...”

Jared really didn't appreciate the “attitude” he'd just been shown. “...damn, you got a mouth on you I've been wanting to shut up!” He extends a long arm to tug Jensen back over, dipping down to kiss him senseless, and render him quiet and kind of...aroused.

Bent over Jared's arm, Jensen tries to control his breathes. “...good-god, that was...”

Jared snakes his other hand up the chest t grab under the jutting chin. “...don't make me have to kiss you again...” He isn't so gentle when he pushes Jensen away, but almost had to in order to hide himself from wandering eyes.

Jensen covers his mouth, backing away and shuffling over to sit on the bed. He brings the mug to his lips, sipping constantly. He watches Jared take a spot on the floor in front of him, enjoying his own mug. It's a strange sens of tension as they both sit there staring, both knowing the inevitability of knotting...yet neither seem to be making one move toward the other, safe in their personal space. 

“...mmm, that is really good.” Jared licks his lips and sets the mug on the floor. He's bent his legs, crossing them at the ankles and tucks them to his chest with arms around the knees. 

“...thanks...” Jensen mumbles, then throws out, “...an' 'you're welcome'...”

Jared clears his throat and unbends his legs, keeping ankles crossed to stretch them out on the floor, somewhere near Jensen's own feet. He leans back to brace his hands behind his back. “You want truths?”

Jensen startles a bit because of Jared's change of topic again. “I do, yes...” He nods his head adamantly, taking another slurp of cocoa to then settle the mug on the floor between his feet. “...I'd like them, at least, for once.” Resting elbows on his thighs, Jensen dangles his hands to entwine them together as he leans forward.

“Truth one is...” Jared begins speaking as he stares at Jensen, but he can already tell that won't last for long. “...if you started your heat when you say you did, by third day...which will be in another hour or so, you'll be at your most fertile.” He clears his throat and leans his head on his right shoulder looking down his legs. “Probably the most potent you will ever be to conceive—start carrying a 'pup'.” Jared turns his head away, sitting so he leans to the right, press his face into his biceps. “Truth two is...I'm giving you my knot because I want that 'pup'...” He takes in a deep breath because that was harder to admit more than anything. “I need that 'pup' more than I need my next breath...and I want to have my 'pup' with you—now more than ever.” Jared brings his head back around, finding that though Jensen looks at him, he also tries to glance away in slight nervousness. “Truth three is...I'm tired of being alone. I love my home, but I miss my pack. I'm not getting any younger an' I'm pining for a mate. I'm knotting you because I want that mate to be you.”

Jensen hangs his head, breathless. “...god, you really know how to gut-punch with the truth there...” The hand is shaking that touches his chest. “...why me?”

Jared pushes off the floor to get on knees waddling over to brace his hands on either side of Jensen. “And I turn it around to ask...'why the hell can't it be you?'... for me?” He forms fists with his hands because all he wants to do now is bring Jensen in to his chest and never let go. “Most pack members like us never have the luxury of being supported or coddled into mating.” Interesting that Jared caress Jensen's flushed cheek as he states these facts. “We've both had traumatic events in our lives that shifted us out of alignment. Now we're trying to get back into some semblance of normalcy...sanity, maybe.”

Jensen swallows hard. “...you wanna build a pack with me?” It sound weird to say, but even weirder to think it's a helluva good idea, probably the most awesome idea ever.

“Question is, I suppose...” Jared hesitates opening his hands, so that he can slide them in and grab onto the outside of Jensen's thighs. “...do you want to build one with me?” He sits back on his heels and lower calves. “I can want, or need, whatever I do, but...it's you who's left holding the key to both our futures.” Jared doesn't mean to lump this whole thing on the Omega, but Jared can only go so far before he'll stop and not make an effort if it's truly not what Jensen wants of him. “I may have taken myself off my sups for this, but...as of right now, if you tell me 'no', I won't pursue you further...”

Jensen flinches from the idea of denying Jared anything, to lose him completely, but he wants to be sure he at least has the Alpha's support, his odd friendship. “...you'd still help me through my heat, though...” He tilts his head to look at Jared in curiosity, then sticks his tongue into his cheek, trying to hide a grin. “...right?”

Jared can see the mirth dancing in Jensen's eyes, how flirty he's trying to be. “...you mean finding you a teddy-bear biker Alpha of your very own?”

Jensen chuckles, shaking his head as he covers his eyes in embarrassment. “...god, did I really say that?”

“yes, it was hilarious.” Jared laughs, then takes the wrist in a less forceful manner; he simply wants to bring Jensen closer to his face. “I haven't had much to laugh about in a long while. And, uh...yeah, if that's what you want to do, in order to not die, then...I will...whatever you—”

Jensen dips his head, stealing Jared's next words. He slides one arm around neck and shoulders, the other holds the side of Jared's face. Jensen moves around to straighten his head, pecking softly at the eager parting lips. His hand slips down to Jared's neck. “...tha's why your heart's racing, like you're in overload. You're off your sups.” As Jared lowers his eyes to suck in his bottom lip, Jensen pets over the sweet handsome face. “...you shoulda told me. I coulda stopped you from doing something this stupid to yourself. Leave the idiotic childish stuff to me.”

Jared shuts his lids to feel Jensen drape on him, fit around him, then touch him to caress so affectionately. “I wouldn't have been able to knot you...plus...” He opens his eyes to stare into the wide green eyes looking at him. “...there's a better chance of me being at my most fertile as well. I didn't want to puss out, you know.”

Jensen snickers, leaning his face against Jared's. “...I knew at some point you'd get me to fall to my knees at your feet. Not, literally, but just...well, you know...”

“...yes, I do know...do you—?” Jared pats the mattress space behind, and beside, where Jensen sits. “...here is fine, if you feel cramped back in the bedroom. I know the bed is only a double.”

Jensen smirks at hearing the agitation in Jared's tone, like he's feeling awkward and on-the-spot. “Lets start out here, work our way back to there...” he keeps dipping in, threatening to kiss those lips again. “...I've been dying to sleep in your arms again...”

Jared blinks slow, with a quick shake of his head at the memory. “We do 'fit' together, don't we?”

“...we do...an' we will even more...” Jensen shifts backward on the futon mattress, pulling Jared with him.

Jared follows with ease, stretching out on his left side as Jensen lays on his back, diagonal off the pillows. He runs a hand up the leg, from calf to inner thigh. Jensen bends his left leg, butterflying out the knee to widen his legs for Jared. He lifts his chin to stare up at Jared under low lids. “I'm not as aroused as I should be. It's not fair to you...”

Jared tilts his head, leaning on his shoulder. “...we're here...both of us are saying 'yes'...I have no need to rush this...I've waited this long...” He sends his hands up to start pressing into Jensen's backside, cupping the area over the hole. “I can feel the heat already building.” Jared rolls a little off Jensen to sit up and drift away. “I think we're both overdressed.”

Jensen quickly scrambles around to take off his t-shirt, then unties the drawstrings to slip out of the pajama bottoms. He tugs out of the elastic waistband of the briefs when he stops. Jared has crawled to sit at the side of the bed-frame, halfway to undoing his button-down when he had paused, hand fully covering his face. 

Leaving his underwear on for now, Jensen scoots down to sit near Jared, resting against him. “...what? Tell me...” He presses kisses into Jared's shoulder. He'll hate to lose what he had just gained mere minutes ago. “...don't shut me out...”

“I need you so much...” Jared turns his head with a choke in his throat; his gaze is downcast to the bed. “...you made me forget...”

Jensen warms at the word “need”, placing a hand on Jared's thick thigh. “...forget what?”

Jared lets out a small grin, but it keeps disappearing as he clears his throat and tries to prepare Jensen for what he has to say and show him. “...the reason I let no one touch me is that...I don't want them to see my scars.”

“Scars?!” Jensen only sounds frightened because to him Jared looks flawless. He furrows his brow in confusion. “I'm not...how can you be—?”

Jared pulls away, sliding to the very edge of the bed-frame. He shifts to face his back to Jensen. Head bows and jaw locks in tension, Jared rolls each shoulder to slide out of the shirt, showing the tops of his shoulder blades and down his upper back. He hears the initial gasp of Jensen's breath, then...nothing. Jared stops around his mid-back, but then Jensen slides over, hands cupping shoulder joints as he trails hands down, flexing biceps to help push the sleeves completely off the long arms. The shirt lays pooled at the lower back and Jensen moves close to press his face to the warm neck.

“...what did they do to you?” Jensen begs as he can't stop touching the perfect creamy skin with the three-edged claw marks criss-crossed all down his back. “...who did this to you?”

Jared watches over his shoulder at how easily Jensen lays hands on him, how often he touches and caresses over the deep scars that mar his skin. “...he doesn't look any better.” He gives a soft laugh as he turns back around and feels the tingles running down his spine. Jared doesn't know exactly how long it's been since someone else has touched his back. “I was able to get him in the face—over an eye. Mine are all on my back.” He glances back over to instantly meet Jensen's face over his left shoulder; his eyes dart from eyes to mouth. “He pinned me, briefly, but I bucked him off me.”

Jensen can't fathom what this means. Who is the 'he' that Jared refers to? “...who, Jay?” he dips in and kisses bare skin, rubbing his lips over the warm flesh until he meets the nape and then he leans his head into Jared's hair. “Who are you talkin' about?”

“I couldn't let him get away with—” Jared almost jolts off the bed as he feels Jensen's arms fit around him. “—I had to let him never forget her...”

“...jesus...Meghan's Alpha...” Jensen lays his face on the shoulder blade on the left, petting over the scarred back.

“The pack felt I was being petty.” Jared had no idea how erogenous of a zone his back could be with those raised scars, or maybe it was Jensen's touch that always did him in. “That he shared no blame for her death. I wasn't satisfied with those paltry arrests and convictions of the two humans and the ex-pack member.” He can feel himself growing angry, so he leans into Jensen to calm his emotions though now he's heading back to arousal. “He still thought he did nothing wrong. He still visits that bitch of his in prison—like he owes her an ounce of forgiveness. He had to suffer...for something.” Jared clears his throat and shifts around to face Jensen on the left. “...Lead Alpha was tired of my whining and us bickering, put us in a ring to fight, he didn't want us to come out 'til someone was dead or one of us forfeited...”

Jensen finds he can't stop touching Jared, reaching out to pet over the rough cheek. “...he gave in?”

“No...at the last minute I grew a fuckin' conscious. I could see him relenting...waiting for me to kill him, rip his fuckin' throat apart...” Jared has shaped his hands into fists, pounding them into his thighs. “I realized then he was suffering, just not like I was. A little each day in guilt, in still being alive in his pathetic weakness. I couldn't kill him once he begged me to—not that easily.” He twists his head away. “I'd never been that violent—ever. Letting my emotions eat at me, tear me from the inside out. I couldn't look any of my pack in the eye. I didn't want their pity or their paltry...'feel better now? Okay, now...lets move on'...so I left.” Jared lets out a stunted laugh through his nostrils. “Found out later I probably was about to be kicked out of the pack. Lead Alpha would have let us duke it out and make his decision. But I took control of my life, away from pack and I haven't returned since.”

Jensen can't help staring, and caressing the three-lined claw marks. They tell a story about his Alpha that leaves his own heart in tatters, makes him want to take Jared in his arms and never let go. “I think they make you look...regal. Like a warrior. You should wear them proudly—in honor of your sister. But also...your badge of courage.” Jensen hates how ashamed Jared seems to feel about them, mainly because they could, to someone else's eyes, look rather disgusting and horrific. He caresses the cheek and slides under the chin to keep getting the Alpha to lift his head. “You stood up to the ridiculousness of pack life and you didn't feel intimidated to back down.” He finds that so admirable and sexy about Jared; he's wanted to rage against the wolf pack society for so long. “Sure, maybe you were out-of-control with your grief, but...you had just watched an innocent life wither away when she didn't have to.” Jensen trails his hand down, fingers dancing across the collar bone, along upper chest. “It had to come out somewhere on someone.” He quirks up one side of his mouth with pride in the Alpha. “Kinda glad you fed him his dignity and he caved like the Alpha he clearly will never be.”

Jared brings his head around, bending forward toward Jensen's face to enunciate his words, “Fighting is not always the answer...” His own hand begins to outstretch fingers to play over Jensen's face, tracing over lush lips. “...unless there is a worthy opponent and the fight is fought fairly.”

Jensen nods his head, eyes on Jared's lips. “...god...I wanna fuckin' kiss you so bad right now.”

“I'm not even fully undressed.” Jared gives out a light chuckle. “I gotta catch up to you.”

Jensen picks up Jared's shirt to throw it over the side of the mattress to the floor. He needs room to make his way into Jared's arm, give him a clear pathway to lay him down on the bed. “It's your lips I'm kissin', Alpha...not your cock...”

“...mmm...go over there and lay down...” Jared gives a side-glance to Jensen as he points, then tries to stand without showing too much of his aroused state. “I'll be back with you shortly.”

Jensen climbs to his knees, teetering a little but then hovering behind Jared to wrap his arms around and down, hugging Jared's head to his chest wall.”I don't wanna leave you quite yet.” The raised scars feel tingly against his nude body. “Why don't you stand, I'll help with the rest of these clothes.”

Jared does but won't turn around. Jensen snickers and shoves against Jared's left ass cheek, but then he shifts to snake his arm around to blindly work at the jeans snap and zipper. They both attempt to slide the denim off; Jared bumps Jensen so he can sit and tug out off the legs. Jensen's distant for a short time, but he's back to hanging over Jared's shoulder, smoothing flat palms over the muscled chest. He pulls and tugs at the dark hairs and pert nipples. 

“...god, man...I could eat you alive...taste you...lick you all over...”

“...am I better than cake?”

“hehehe...so much fuckin' better than cake—you've no idea...c'mere...”

Jared spins to start low-crawling on knees and knuckles as Jensen slides up on his back. He stops, keeping Jared still by the dark hairy thighs and presses into the body. “...there isn't one inch of you that doesn't take my breath away...” He moves over the stiffness under the briefs, sniffing and rubbing about the intense heat and throb. He lifts a hand to cup the oval testicles and hard knot. “...I can't wait to feel this inside me...come all around it as you come in me...

Jared collapses off his knees, pushing Jensen down to the bed. “I'm afraid this first one won't last and it'll probably be awkward and rough...”

“I don't fuckin' care...I just want you inside me as fast as possible...”

“...well, all right, then...”

Jared shifts on his knees to place himself between Jensen's spreading thighs, and he tumbles his body to brace hands beside Jensen's head. “...you gettin' aroused?”

“...ungghhh, so fuckin' hot for you...like there ever would be a time I wouldn't...”

Jared thrusts his hips against Jensen's pelvis, groin shaping under Jensen's backside. “...feel what you do to me?”

“...yeah...god-yeah...I feel...” Jensen slips his hands along Jared's sides to slide fingers under the elastic waistband. “May I?” He flutters lashes at Jared.

“...you never have to ask...” Jared dives in to softly bite and nudge the side of Jensen's neck.

Jensen yanks down hard and frees the impressive length, watching it pop out at him. “...fuck me...i's bigger up close...” He squirms around, feeling his hole clench and the walls seep moisture. “...ohgod...”

“...what?”

“...ohgod, ohgod...” Jensen braces his arms on the mattress. “...how can that be? I wasn't...there was nothing there before, now I feel like I'm gonna release...”

“now?!” Jared barely had time to situate in his mind how he wants to take Jensen; he doesn't feel remotely ready and he hasn't even taken the last of his clothing off.

“...shit yeah! Now!” Jensen arcs up, his hands shaking to touch himself and slip under the elastic waistband as he feels the waves start coursing through. “...ohman, this feels...different...”

Jared pulls down his briefs the rest of the way, kicking the material off the bed. “...c'mon...lift up before you ruin this pair too.” He helps tug off the underwear, his hands tracing the inseam of Jensen's legs. “...lift, Jen...you need to be a bit more comfortable to take me fully...”

Jensen pulls his legs to his chest, hands at the backs of his thighs. “...quick...please...”

“...all right, all right.” Braced off his hand, Jared guides his cock in with his right hand and, once the tip breeches the gaping hole, both of them hold their breathes as Jared starts with slow thrusts.

“...n'god, n'god...fuckfuck, yeah-yes...” Jensen releases his legs, keeping them in position as his hands reach to touch Jared's chest. “...sooo good, sooo fuckin' good...”

Jared grips onto Jensen thighs, starting to increase his tempo. “...christ...you're insanely tight...an' too—fuuuck...so fuckin' hot...” He leans far enough forward to rest Jensen's calves on his shoulders. “...so tight...god, so fuckin' tight I'm gonna come...”

Just as Jared announces that fact, Jensen thrusts up, feeling his walls contract and a squirt of lube shoots out to cover Jared's shaft as he releases a small amount of semen. “...gimme your knot, Alpha...I fuckin' want your knot...”

“I'll fuckin' give you my knot, Omega...” Jared bends down to roughly take Jensen's lips. “I'll fuckin' give you everything I have, and more...” He slides back, then slams hard against Jensen's bottom, stretching his hole to its extreme as they both cry out from the initial shock of sensation. Jared keeps pounding away, relentless and unstoppable as his hands try to grab traction on the bed linens.

Jensen growls out, legs tight around Jared's body as he rides the cock and knot inside him with an agonized wail of another wave toward his release. “...oh fuck...” He throws his arms above his head, letting his lower body do all the work. “...m'gonna come again...so hard...”

“...right there with you...see who shoots first...”

Thrusting in a frenzy together, Jensen lowers his arms to grab onto Jared's biceps as he squirms around on the bed, and his thighs begin to spasm...he lolls his head around as his muscles clench in double-time; he releases another two loads of lube. After feeling the hot spurt of fluid, Jared goes stiff at one final pound to the hilt and he ejaculates every single drop of his seed from inside his knot.

“...jesus-fucking-christ...” Jared dominoes on top of Jensen, his hips still moving, but at a slower pace.

Jensen still shakes and shivers beneath Jared, though his arm holds on tight, palms flat to the scarred back he's now finding enticing to touch and caress over. “...don' go...don' go...”

“...mmm...can't fuckin' move...don' wanna move...” Jared begins kissing skin wherever his head lays. “...you cold?”

“...nah, man...I'm still...that was intense. I'm still orgasming a little...”

“...I feel you... spasming...” Jared rises a bit to pet down Jensen's skin. “...ssshhh...first time is over...” He presses lips, and his own cheek, to Jensen's flushed one. “...that was pretty rough but not as rough as it could've been.”

“I know.” Jensen holds his jaw as his teeth keep chattering. “...god...hope I'm not this way every time...s'kinda embarrassing.” He laughs a bit shakily at himself and how silly his body is reacting which makes him look inexperienced.

“I think it's perfectly you...and rather charming.” Jared wraps one arm around Jensen's body. “...gonna flip us...tell me when you're actually cold. I'll get the covers.”

Jensen allows Jared to roll them, he on his left and Jensen on his right, facing one another. “Was this it?” There was a high questioning tone to his voice at the end...like he wanted to know if this was the moment that decided his fate. “...the big moment that tells me if I'm alive or dead...”

“uh...I don't know...” Jared is trying to catch his breath, wiping over Jensen's sweaty face. “...do you really care right now?”

“...uh, yeah.” Jensen licks his dry lips to moisten as he stares at Jared's mouth, then glides down the very little space between their bodies.

“...don't know.” Jared shakes his head to refocus his mind; he just had some pretty intense knotting and he's unable to adjust his brain to functioning. Feeling his cock and knot so tight within Jensen, he's liable not to care about much else himself. “My train of thinking is this...they say you'll die, if you don't knot, and this pushes you into knotting like crazy and...boom! You're carrying weeks later.”

“so...” Jensen attempts to scoot higher than Jared, but he really can't budge being tied so tightly to the Alpha's body. “...this is simply an elaborate scheme to get me knocked up...increase the pack...”

“Probably.”

“...god-dammit...” Jensen pounds his fist behind his back, wishing he had a way of avoiding these kind of obvious situations Omegas get trapped into.

“...hey...” Jared reaches out to lay a hand on Jensen's chest and shake him a little. “...don't get pissy at me.”

“I wasn't.” Jensen groans as he loops his arms around Jared's neck. “I just...” He dips in to merge their faces. “...why does it have to be so tough for us, huh?...life or death...fuck or die...an' Betas can jus'...”

“...whoa!whoa!whoa!...settle down, huh.” Jared slips his hand over a hip and gives another mild shake. “It's a bit late to be protesting now.”

“...m'sorry...I get so annoyed about these things. Omegas have enough to deal with, so why this odd extreme?” Jensen loosens his leg grip on Jared, only able to slide one leg down, but he bucks almost instantly, feeling Jared's knot right at his hole, plugging him but pressing into his prostate. His body starts craving the feel. “...nnnghhh...god, need you again...”

Jared glances down, smirking. “...christ, how could I've been foolish enough to forget.” He leans in to kiss Jensen. “...I'll take care of this now.” Jared rolls them onto Jensen's back, starting to slowly build speed as he reaches down a hand to palm the shape of Jensen's cock. “...come for me...shoot your load all over my hand...”

A few more hurried thrusts and Jensen's moans out his orgasm as he rolls his head around. “...ohhh, fuck me...your han' feels good...keep strokin'...”

Jared stares down as even after the first release or clear and swirls of pearly white come, Jensen ejaculates a thicker, starkly white glob, then a spray of semen. “...christ...we are gonna need to take better care of you.” He leans in to kiss Jensen's neck, then rolls them back to their sides. “...feel better?”

Jensen closes his eyes, fighting back a yawn. “...pardon me while I nap for a little.”

Jared shifts close to lay face to face with Jensen. “...I don't mind...I'm right here with you...”

“...so glad—” Jensen extends a hand to cup and sift fingers through dark hair to grip hard and pull in. “—sooo glad it was you...” He sweeps in and takes Jared's mouth under his, very forceful and hurried as he tries to eek out the last of his arousal so he can sleep. Jensen pulls away, keeping his hand on the Alpha's face, thumb moving over skin; Jared brings up a hand to hook around Jensen's small wrist, holding on tight.

“...me too...” Jared slips even closer to lay his head directly next to Jensen's so they can stare into one another's eyes, if Jensen's lids had been open. But they close for a good reason.

==&&==&&==&&==

Jared shakes awake to find Jensen no longer beside him. He shifts on his elbows to look down to the other end of the trailer to see the light on in the bath. He hears the flush, then the faucet running as a cough sounds. The light is shut off, accordion is pulled across to close off the open bath. Soft footsteps pad over to the fridge, reaching inside to take out the carton of orange juice to drink right out of the container. Jared goes back to leaning on his left elbow to watch Jensen's swift movements in the dark.

The rains still falls outside, but has tapered off to a continuous drizzle.

Jensen gets back onto the futon, settling on his knees, smiling as he sees Jared's awake. “Looks like it rained all night into morning.”

“hmm...” Jared snickers as he watches Jensen dive toward the mattress, rolling into his chest. “...I love it like this...a steady rain...like the world is in a full wash of all the old into the new...” He nuzzles the face trying to tuck into his neck. Jared slips arms around the trim waist, hands moving down to gently swat, then cup the bottom. “...why did you say what you did...like it was all my big ole plan to seduce you...”

Jensen shakes his head like he'd never accuse Jared of such a devious plan to get into his pants. He shrugs, pouting as he caresses down Jared's chest. “I don't know...kinda curious to not limiting ourselves to just inside this trailer...you know?”

Jared slinks along the bed, hand riding up Jensen's back. “...going back to our native roots, huh...knotting outside the den, in full view of the pack...a little bit of off-hand public claiming and knotting...though for us, there's no one around to watch or care...” 

Jensen moves again to start pushing into Jared's body. “...I want you to take me from behind...I loved knotting face to face with you, 'cuz I could devour your features...but I crave...mmm...fantasize 'bout you takin' me from behind...” He dips his head, face niching into the warm neck, nibbling and licking at the pale flesh.

Jared closes his lids, eyes rolling in the back of his head. “...oh...all right...” He states the acceptance as if Jensen just asked him to drive him into town. “...if you want me to...” He chuckles as Jensen tries to bite his earlobe, knowing he's only teasing. “...now you got me growing hard again...my knot's already swelling...”

Jensen flips onto his back, then slips around to his stomach. He pushes up and out with his backside, squeezing in his belly as he feels his walls spasm and clench. “...god...the thought alone is making me come...”

Jared watches Jensen settling on forearms with ass high in the air as he keeps spreading his thighs open. He tenderly kisses shoulders and back, petting down the slope of the spine. “...wanna watch you come for me...then I'm gonna slip in there, take you as mine, the way nature intended...”

“...oh, yes...yesyesyes...ohgod—fuuuck...” Jensen leans heavily into Jared as his thighs quiver and his muscles contract to let go, expelling lube to cover his rectum, but he keeps his hole closed tight to not leak. “...m'ready for you, alpha...”

Jared smirks, looming above Jensen, his groin fitting flush over the ample mounds spreading. His hips pull back and in one swift motion, he inserts not only his hardening cock, but the half-swollen knot. He grunts at the feel of his length sliding through the warm slick and he sends an arm under Jensen to pull him tight to his body. “...gonna fuck you as my knot swells inside you...”

“...mmm...I feel it...hot an' throbbin'...I like it...want more...”

Jared sniffs out a laugh, not sure how Jensen knows he isn't all the way in. He draws away to almost fully exit the stretched hole, but then he slams hard into Jensen's bottom, jolting him up the mattress as his tip enters the womb. It's a pin-prick of pain since the cock is so big and the hole so small, but the elasticity on the womb's outer skin relaxes with each thrust.

“...oh, fuuuck, fuuuck, fuuuck...what was that?” Jensen actually touches his twitching cock, then holds an arm across his abdomen as the spasms still vibrate through his body. “...god-damn, I felt that...whatever it was.”

Jared buries his face in Jensen's nape, laying his cheek on the soft plait of hair. “...I'm so deep inside you, I'm in your womb...”

At the single image alone, coupled with the sensations, Jensen feels his cock twitch and drip of pre-come slip out of his cocktip, down along the shaft. “...my god...tha's kind hot...an' it felt so fuckin' good...you fillin' me with your whole length...I can barely move...” As he shifts back, Jensen's face contorts to feel the increase of the knot's size as it expands, massaging his prostate. “...harder—yeah...fuck me harder...fill me with your seed...”

“...you're beautiful when you beg...beg for my knot...my seed...I'm gonna spill into you 'til you burst...”

Jensen's whole body starts to shiver and then he contracts his muscles, opening his womb to release a series of lubricating sprays; Jared pounds into him with a frenzied hurry as he pants and growls in accompaniment with his orgasm, the entire load shoots into Jensen's womb. Jared thrusts like a madman until he is completely empty. He keeps feeling his testicles retract and push in, knowing it'll also be coupled with a good load of semen. He gives a louder cry, feeling the anal walls milk him for whatever else he can give. “...ohgod...jen-jen-jen...tha's it...tha's the one...we do that a few more times, you'll live longer than both of us...”

“...mmm, startin' not to care...” Jensen chuckles deeply at himself. “...not as much as carryin' your 'pup'...” He snorts out a flash of air as he smooshes his face to the mattress. “...jesus...listen to me, I'm the last a-hole who should parent any poor 'pup'...”

“I think that's the point...stop thinkin', let instinct take over...” Jared pushes his head into Jensen's back, hands spanning the body beneath him. “I wouldn't want any other to raise our 'pup'...” He kisses down the spine along his journey. “...you'll do just fine.”

“...mmm, flatterer...an' right when I'm blissed the fuck out an' knotted proper...” Jensen spreads out fully on the bed, face-down and about to shut his eyes to nap again.

Jared kisses Jensen's face, invading warm niches to nibble on and bite skin. “I'm taking you to the back bedroom when we're no longer tied...” He eyes the way Jensen just collapses in a limp formation even though he's already laying on the bed to show how spent he is. Jared settles on top but won't lay fully on Jensen's to squish him, but the Omega still keeps scooting under him to feel his entire weight holding him down. “...we'll try to sleep, then attempt a new position.”

“...mmm...soun's good...” Jensen snuggles down in the tangle of linens, then reaches for both of Jared's hands to entwine their fingers and hold tight. “...don't take my yawn the wrong way.”

Jared doesn't.

==&&==&&==&&==

A little under an hour later, both of them wake at the same time and walk toward the back bedroom. Jensen thinks he's clever, so he pretends there's a horde of others trying to bypass them. He runs into the bedroom, then slams the door on Jared. Lucky for Jensen that Jared had to pee, but he was too eager to be victor. For a few minutes, Jensen doesn't hear a flush, he thinks Jared is being mean, but just as he opens the paneling he hears the flush, then sends the door shut again. He moves to throw back the covers or, at least, the covers at the side and bottom wall; now they had plenty of bare space to fuck on. He's fairly excited and aroused, and he can feel his body start to need—to crave Jared...but he still hadn't come through the doorway.

Jensen tries to calm down, controlling his breathing and steadying his heart, but every time he goes to lay on his back, he wants to thrust, wants to open his hole wide and fuck. So he stands, pacing. Once he was done pacing, he opens the door to step out. He finds Jared washing out their mugs, cleaning the pans and putting away the leftover chocolate bars in the fridge. 

Jensen sidles up to Jared. “What are you doing?”

“You shut the door on me. You didn't want to be alone?” Jared nonchalantly points over his shoulder. “I was fixin' the bed out here on the futon for myself.

“But...” Jensen turns sad eyes onto the futon, where the sheets had been straightened and looked ready to crawl into. Their clothes are neatly stacked to be taken out to the wash when the rain stops. It sure does appear that Jared is sleeping out here. What the fuck had Jensen just done? “...m'sorry...I was jus'...”

Jared turns a furrowed brow to Jensen, feeling a silent shake to the trailer's structure. “...do you need to pee, Jen?”

“No...no...I'm about to come.” Jensen plasters his body against Jared's side. “...I fuckin' need you...I need your knot inside of me.”

Jared gulps, hating what he's about to do, but he does love to work Jensen over into such a hissy fit of frustration, just to see what he'll do. “I don't...not right now. I'm actually kind of tired.” He yawns for effect, hiding his growing erection and swelling knot into the low cabinets.

“...b-b-but...come back to bed, huh?” Jensen scrapes nails down Jared's skin, cupping his hard, bare ass cheek. “...god, you're so tight...” He loves how Jared squeezes his buttocks in to create dimples. Jensen starts jumping from side to side. “...c'mon, man...said I was sorry...I was jus' playin'...teasin' you, like how you always slam the door in my face.” He grows a bit worried. “I didn't hurt you, did I?” He grabs for a hand, then both to check. He sighs and wipes his brow to show how relieved he is. Jensen uses his grips on Jared's hands to propel him against the massive chest wall, nearly standing on tip toes. “...please...come with me to the bedroom an' take me...I need you so fuckin' bad right now...”

Jared lowers his gaze, then his head, taking his left hand he seductively slides from Jensen's hip up to the chest and onto the collar bone. He widens the span of his hand to hold the front of the throat, thumb tracing the jaw to eventually shift the whole hand to undergrip the chin, turning Jensen's head at an odd high angle and bringing him an inch or two off the linoleum. “Don't...EVER...” He can feel Jensen quaking, his hands either holding Jared or grabbing onto the thick wrist. “...SHUT ME OUT OF MY BEDROOM...” He growls low and close to an ear.

“...please...p-p-please...jay...” Jensen swallows with difficulty. “...Jared...shit...” He closes his eyes in sweet misery. He knows he just took two steps back. “...p-p-please, alpha...n-n-need you...”

Jared shuts his own eyes, knowing he's scaring the piss out of Jensen, but it's clearly turning them both on. Jensen shakes all over, unable to stand on his feet when he's lowered to the floor. Jensen crumbles to his knees at Jared's feet, but Jared guides him down slow. With the flick of his dark shaggy head, Jared quietly gestures for Jensen to return to the bedroom. “...get on the bed...and show me how much you need your Alpha...Omega...”

Jensen tries to stand, but needs some assistance. Jared follows him as far as the doorway, then guards with crossed arms and his chest puffed out. He no longer cares that his cock is fully hard, jutting out from a bed of dark curls, nor does he mind that his knot is larger than it's ever been. If he touches himself, he knows he'll shoot, but he doesn't want to waste any seminal fluid.

Jensen considers being on his knees, backside offered as he pulls apart his cheeks. But he wants to offer out his body in a more vulnerable position from on his back. He does climb on with his knees, then he quickly flips onto his bottom. He adjusts himself to be on his back, ass off the mattress, legs pulled to his chest and bearing down to keep his hole wide open. Once he's in the position with only Jared staring at him with the rock-hard cock and knot he needs, he feels his thighs start to shake as he builds up to a release. Jensen wants to put down his legs and thrust but he's at the edge of the bed, so he tries to pump his hips as best he can as the anal walls clench. “...p-p-please, alpha...I need you...or I truly will die...” Of a broken heart.

Jared pushes off the doorway, barely takes his cock in hand, and Jensen lowers his legs slightly. He jabs inside, all the way in to Jensen's second hole and he doesn't even have to thrust much as he's doused with lubrication and he, himself, shoots his next huge load of seed into the womb. Jensen begins to vibrate with his release, the muscles uncontrollable in clenching and releasing as Jensen looses all sense of himself with one seriously intense orgasm.

“...ssshhh...ssshhh...” Jared tries to sooth, but it's tough getting the green eyes to focus and look directly at him. He instantly feels bad for teasing Jensen, but...god-damn, it made for some powerful, and potent, sex. “...hey, hey...Jen...c'mon, look at me...focus...” He grabs Jensen's chin and moves the head around, hoping it'll wake Jensen out of his trance. He hefts Jensen further up the mattress, able to climb on, laying on his side while Jensen remains on his back. Jared settles a bit higher so he can look down into the beautiful blissed-out face. He combs back the moist hairs at the brow, then smooths knuckles down a flushed cheek. He bends low to kiss the shoulder, then lightly gnashes teeth along Jensen's chest to the collar, then he traces his nose upward to catch parting lips. Jensen starts waking up a little in the middle of being kissed.

“...mmm...” Jensen pushes a forearm against Jared's chest. “...I hate you for that, but—god...we have to do that again...was one seriously intense release.”

Jared gives out a tiny grin, cautious and watchful of Jensen's reactions and responses. “I thought you liked my 'Alpha'.”

“I do...yes, but I just had sex with playful, romantic Jared for three hours, then suddenly...” Jensen actually shudders as he looks up at Jared, not wavering his stare. “...I had this huge, scary Master 'bout to serve me some punishment...”

Jared takes it as a compliment, kissing Jensen's neck as he chuckles. “Did I really frighten you? Made you think I would punish you?”

“...uh-yeah—yes...” Jensen blinks and looks away. “...there's no doubt in my mind were gonna carry. If not just now, or prior—from behind...then, uh...” He reaches out to latch onto Jared as he sees him pull back. “...p-p-please...don't leave...promise I'll behave, do whatever you say—”

Jared freezes for a second, leaning on his left elbow as he pets down Jensen's chest. “It's all right. I wasn't angry at all. You didn't even slam the door in my face. You raced past me, and I was about to tell you I was on my way to the bathroom.” He notices Jensen drop his gaze, eyes averting. “I'm just getting the covers for us.” Which he does as he pulls the hems, then sees Jensen letting out some tension and quick bursts of air as he allows his eyes to go red and tears billow out one at a time. “...jesus...christ, Jen...” Jared makes a fist and presses it over the frantic heart. “...now I feel like a schlep. I'm an ass.”

“...no, no...you're okay...I'm just...” Jensen flutters hands over his face, turning away as he chokes in silent emotional churning.

Jared drops his gaze, then leans his head on his bent left arm. “You did that once before...when I was inside you. You do realize what knotting means?” He lightly teases, liking that Jensen gives him a small swat. Jared grabs for one of Jensen's shaking hands. “Wanna tell me about it?”

“Stupid abandonment issues. There's a reason I live with my Aunt and Sandy.”

“I figured that. Didn't want to pry.”

“It's okay. Almost never talk 'bout her anymore. Except when I feel like this—walls closing in, can't breathe and then I'm locked away by myself.”

“Did she leave you a lot?”

“uh...three 'pups' by three different Alphas. I was always being left with neighbors or pack...my aunt would take me in, give my mom a break. I'd go back home—wherever that was—and things would be great, then fall apart 'cuz she couldn't get her shit straight.”

“Where were your siblings?”

“With their father Alphas. Mine refused to believe I was his son, which is cool. I don't wanna know him either.”

“...m'sorry, jen...”

Jensen shrugs, giving out a sad smile. “Don't be. When I got older, past my first heat at puberty, I rebelled. It was my turn to fuck her shit up. While she got clean and straightened her life...I got in trouble with the authorities. Then she just gave up and tossed me to my aunt.” Jensen clears his throat, turning on his side a little. “I tend to believe that my aunt actually wanted me to live with her, since Sandy and I acted like siblings more than cousins.”

Jared reaches out to cup Jensen's cheek. “I am genuinely sorry for what I just did, then...and any time I made you feel like that. Like I'd just abandon you like everyone else. I knew...” He licks his lips wet. “I knew the moment I saw you, I wanted you to stay and be my mate. I knew once you asked for my help I'd be willing to give you my knot...whatever you needed to stay here with me. Then...I thought about going off my sups...you being so fertile, me being hornier and fertile...a 'pup' would keep you here with me. No way would you leave your own 'pup'.”

“...you knew all this time, you wanted to be with me, just as if it was a simple fact?”

“yeah...I mean, I knew Sandy better than I knew you, and then you were there constantly...tough to ignore such expressive green eyes and this indelible beautiful face. I prefer males...when I needed sexual release, I took on females, pack or human. I knew I'd never love them. I knew I wanted my mate to be male, but not who...until there you were.” Jared traces the lips, lips that start to bite his fingers and thumb. “For the first time in years, I found one person who I'd lay down my own life for...to never see you hurt...to give my heart once and only...”

“jesus...you don't have to say all this now. I'm perfectly fine with—” Jensen is silenced by Jared forcibly grabbing his chin and quieting him with a kiss.

Jared slides over top Jensen; Jensen opens his legs, planting feet. Jared begins to rock inside Jensen's body. Jensen slow-glides his hips to meet Jared's and they press cheeks and breathe within an inch of one another's face. Jensen sooths down Jared's chest and Jared pets the back of his hand along the underside of Jensen's cock. They mesh foreheads...kiss deep and passionate, but no tongue. When they pull away, they stare at one another and smile. Jensen slips his arms around Jared's neck to dangle, and Jared feels himself weakening to fall into Jensen's embrace.

“...god...I love you...” Jared feels the initial pain of reopening his heart, letting another person in. But it's damn clear to him how he feels. He can't deny it.

Jensen brings a hand up to caress over the handsome, chiseled features. “...I'm halfway to being head over heels myself...I can't wait to start our life, build our pack...together...”

“...things always look best with you around...a little brighter...”

“I make you smile...go ahead, say it.”

Jared can't help but smile at Jensen's taunt. “You do. You make me laugh too. No one can do that, except you.”

Jensen touches fingers over Jared's lips as they move. “...you're mine...my mate...”

Jared nods his head, whimpering as he feels himself growing hard as he speeds up his thrusts. “...no other can have you...you and everything you are...mine...forever...”

Jensen nods in acceptance, picking up Jared's head from both sides. “I'll have you, if you'll have me...since no one wants either of us.”

Jared gives a painful side-smile as he feels Jensen clench around him, and the calm and ease of his release makes Jared's loud and explosive orgasm seem over-dramatic. “...ohgod...ohgod...” He pushes in like a wild animal, and he jabs through into the womb again as Jensen lifts legs and bottom. Jared had no idea where more ejaculate came from inside him, but he shoots a steady stream into the cavity, crumbling on top of Jensen...breathless and close to his own tears...

Jensen feels Jared shake from overwrought emotions, so he quietly holds his mate to his chest, soothing his back and silently sweeping away those single droplets of moisture.

Wow...what a life together they were going to have. Jensen inwardly shook with excitement from the future prospects coming their way...now that there was no fucking way he'd die...Jared, bless his sweet Alpha heart, had made certain of that...

 

**== &&==&&==&&==**   
**TBC...**


	5. Chapter 5

There's a constant downpour that lasts almost until noon.

Jared and Jensen don't even consider getting out of bed until the rain has stopped. They had knotted five more times to make it a full eight; Jensen had sworn his rectum should've been leaking but he hadn't seeped a drop. Jared had ordered Jensen to remain in bed and to not get up. If Jensen would need anything, Jared would get it for him. Jared explained it as he had wanted Jensen to take it easy, make sure that every seed inside the womb made it safely to fertilization. Jensen had teased that as many times as they had come, there was a possibility they'd have more than one pup, maybe even more than two. Jared had freaked for a little, but an hour later he had a viable plan in his mind cooking. He had time to implement it.

Jensen is feeling decadent, lying in bed naked under warmed covers with his Alpha curled around him at all times, or Jensen had been curled around Jared when they had tried to catch some sleep after untying their bodies. Jared had been gone for a while and even as Jensen had tried to sleep on his right side, he had kept rising off the bed to look through the doorway. He doesn't know where Jared can be but weariness and being content win over and he settles his head down, going back to sleep. A few minutes later, Jared does return, naked and cold as ice. He lays above the covers until he heats up, but Jensen can feel the chill even through the blanket and sheets. Jensen rolls onto his back, telling Jared to get under with him. Jared attempts to refuse, but Jensen starts to grumble and he flips the sheets to cover Jared, sandwiching him to the mattress with his own body heat.

“I'm fine.” Jared light snickers as he soothes a hand up and down Jensen's biceps.

“I can hear your teeth chattering, Jay. 'Sides, if you're not healthy—and you get sick—who'll take care of me? I could get what you catch—if you get sick.” Jensen wrinkles his brow. “Where did you go? Outside?”

Jared nods his head, goes quiet and stares down at the arms crossed over his chest. 

Jensen can tell something is weighing on Jared's mind; he lays on top of the pile of linens over Jared. He already feels the cold drifting away. “Wanna talk 'bout it?” He folds his own arms, resting them on Jared's stomach to look into the hazel eyes. He reaches up to brush through long dark locks and touch the face; Jared leans into his hand. Jensen slides arms down to swing his body up further. “...please, let me in...I wanna help you, if I can...”

Jared blinks slow, opens his eyes to untuck his left arm to present Jensen with a box about the size of a credit card, but an inch or more thick. “I found these amongst Meghan's things, after she had passed...”

Jensen places the box on Jared's upper chest, removing the lid. His jaw drops open slightly. “oh, my god...these are...”

“...ceremonial rings...one for her, one for her Alpha.”

Jensen glances at Jared furtively. “There were getting married?”

“No, I don't think so.” Jared shakes his head loosely, rubbing a hand over the side of his face. “I'm assuming Meghan was simply tying them together symbolically forever. She never took them out of the jeweler's bag. Still had the receipt inside.”

“...wow...tha's deep...” Jensen is a bit unsettled by the symbolism of the rings on their own.

Jared motions for Jensen to pull a ring out of the box. “I want you to take one.”

“...huh?” Jensen simply stares at his mate.

“...and I'll take the other. It's for a man and a woman, but I don't mind wearing the thinner band.”

Jensen narrows his eyes as he closes his jaw. “You're ready to commit to me...an' truly be mine?”

Jared leans forward, almost nose to nose. “...as you will always be mine...” He trails a finger down Jensen's face, concentrating on the lips. “I wanna be inside you, but I don't wanna knot.”

“mmm...you jus' wanna fuck?” Jensen tries to bite down on his bottom lip to stop the smile from spreading over his lips. He looms his head over Jared, peering down at the averted face, with the downcast eyes.

“...please...” Jared softly brushes fingers over Jensen's bare biceps, petting over warm flesh. He bends forward to kiss certain spots. “I'm actually aching to fill you...”

“ooo, aching...tha's not good.” Jensen has put the lid back on the jeweler's box, then tossed it off to the side, knowing he'd find it later. “Le's see if I can do something for you.” He shifts upright to slide off, peeling back comforter and sheets to throw a leg over and straddle; he lowers the underside of his groin onto Jared's erection. Jensen massages up the ribcage, rocking back and forth to pull at the skin over the shaft. “How does that feel?”

“...nnnhhh...good...very good, but not as good as havin' you tight around me...” Jared rises to lift Jensen by the hips; Jensen whimpers as Jared nuzzles his neck, then slowly sinks him down onto his cock.

Jensen sucks in air to be somewhat sore, his hole loosened, and just when his body had bounced back he was being stuffed with a well-endowed Alpha cock. His hands fell to his thighs as he begins to draw up then back down to the bent knees. Jared brings out his hands and covers Jensen's, their fingers clasp for traction as one thrusts up, while the other pushes down. Jared lets go to send his hand along the thighs to the hips and around the ample backside. He pulls the cheeks apart, making Jensen work his hip-rolls a little harder.

“...come inside me...”

“...that's what I planned on doing...”

Jensen bounces for a few minutes to work his body up to arousal, but then he climbs off to lay on his right side, drawing his right leg up the mattress. His reddened hole gapes open and Jared slips onto his right side as well, but he licks three fingers so he can massage over the puckered entrance. Jensen cries out from the touch, draping awkwardly over his pillows. “...god, fuck me good, alpha...I jus' need your cock...an' you.” He reaches back to grab onto Jared's leg, adding that last bit for good measure.

Jared licks his fingers again, tasting the juices and lube; it's not gourmet but it's not terrible. He pressure points to keep the hole open, then uses the hand to take his cock and guides the tip in; he lets his body take care of momentum. Jared plants his hand under the bent leg, other hand flat to the bed at Jensen's back, cupping the thigh to widen the spread of Jensen's legs as he plunges in up to his knot. It's like his knot is ignoring him, not filling with seed. His right arm tucks under to bring Jensen to his chest, forearm around the collar bone to latch onto a shoulder. Jared buries his face in Jensen's hair. “I've never come this much with one person and...I try never to do repeats, but...fuck if I can't get enough of you. I can't...can't reach a satiation point, and I have to be in you...never knew I could want that so badly before.”

“I could get used to that since I now know how much I crave you.” Jensen relaxes on Jared, reaching back to caress the face. “I know we aren't knotting, but don't pull out once you've come...”

Jared bends to kiss a shoulder. “Not gonna be a problem.”

They both quicken their pacing. Jensen lowers his arm to clamp a hand on Jared's meaty thigh. Jared pulls back, feeling the pressure of a release and then he shoots into the already come-slick passage. Jensen has dropped his right hand prior to the moment, hurriedly stroking himself to an orgasm that makes him clench his muscles around Jared, milking him of the last drops of thick semen.

They lay there softly laughing as they keep bodies close and faces together, cheek to cheek, both are reveling in the feel and scent, and their shared heat. Still, Jared pulls Jensen tight to his chest, Jensen isn't ashamed to concede being cared for by his Alpha's capable hands. He weakly reaches for wherever he had thrown the ring box. He removes the lid, biting his bottom lip as he pulls out the thicker, manlier ring and he grabs Jared's left hand, placing the band on Jared's finger with little difficulty. 

Jared pushes into Jensen's head, kissing skin. “Are you sure you don't mind?”

Jensen softly snorts as he shakes his head. “What matters is what they stand for and who they honor.” 

Jared snatches the box back, picking up the slimmer half-inch band to grab Jensen's left hand to put on the other ring. He holds their hands close to show off the “look” of the matching set. Jared wraps arms around Jensen, who settles his own arms to align the massive forearms.

Jensen sighs, snuggling back into Jared's hold. “...don't know that I've ever been this happy. Or felt like my life suddenly was on the right track.”

Jared dips his face into Jensen's neck. “I don't think I've even known true happiness or contentment. For the first time, I'm less pessimistic about the future...what it holds with me in it.”

Jensen snickers, nodding his head. “I guess at some point we had to grow up and participate, instead of just letting shit happen.”

Jared chuckles deeply, laying his cheek on Jensen's. His belly shakes against Jensen's lower back. “If I weren't so tried, I'd get out of this bed and bow at your feet...” Jared brings up a hand to trace over Jensen's skin. “—instead, I'll just settle for an 'amen'...”

Jensen feels his body loosen in tension for sleep. “...are we really gonna head back out into the real world tonight?” He doesn't want to leave this bed.

Jared settles his cheek on the soft flesh of a shoulder blade. “...one night before we hide away and begin our life. We need to get out of bed...shower or bathe...”

Jensen jerks with excitement. “You have a tub?”

“no...” Jared snickers lightly, kissing the shoulder bone. “...outside, I have an old metal washing basin...”

Jensen closes his eyes as he likes that image but he loves this one more—ever since the night Jared took care of him. “...we could get up early, an' we could give one another sponge baths...”

“mmm...” Jared kisses up the neck and nuzzles the hair. “...while I love the idea, it could lead to more knotting...”

“so...” Jensen doesn't mind in the least.

Jared vetoes the idea with a solid shake of his head, then a tightening of his arms. “Save it for later when we know we'll have a whole day together.”

Jensen looks down at the forearms around him, reaching up to clamp on their shapes and soothe over them. “When are you going back to work, taking your usual cases?”

“...that's what I was about to explain to you.”

“oh...” Jensen knows he's being awful nosy and inquisitive, but he's rather excited and nervous to be suddenly acting like a grown-up, as long as he has Jared by his side. “...m'sorry...”

Jared kisses a cheek to accept the soft apology. “We'll wake, get dressed. I'll drive the truck...first go to the bail bondsman for my tracking cases, then to my second employer's office. He's been looking for a steady case worker on the pack delinquents...the runaways...and the ones who try to form packs [ gangs ] of their own.”

“...you doing this to get Hartley? For me?” Jensen doesn't know why, but he wants to not have Jared do his dirty work for him. He can't help wanting to 'sic' his Alpha on the whole of Justin's wannabe crew.

“Well...I told you I already got enough on him and his pathetic Alphas, but...it's not a 24hr job. Or even a 8hr one. He's been around a while and he's getting deeper into shadowy packs that have become professional at what he's attempting to be.”

Jensen is confident Jared will hold his own, but he can't bear for him to get more injuries like the scars on his back. “I suppose it's worse than the fighting rings...”

“More like...an execution or...” Jared doesn't know if Jensen likes being reminded of what could have happened to him, but it is a reality they have to face in order for Jensen to know how good his life could be, if he wants. “...like a dual with loaded guns at ten paces...'

“...oh jesus...” Jensen pounds a hand to his forehead, rubbing over the smooth surface, then grabbing some of his shorter bangs to pull on the strands, like he wants to knock some sense into his head. “...what was wrong with me, huh? Can't believe I almost got into that.”

“Stop it. Right now, Jen.” Jared doesn't want Jensen to beat himself over this situation; not since they have a perfect way for him to get out of trouble. “Justin and those Alphas know how susceptible and eager Betas and Omegas are to be their own people without needing pack authority. They set up a different set of rules, making young 'cubs' prey to their control.”

“I know, I know.” Jensen wraps his own arms along with Jared's, holding his own body tight. “I should shut up about this or I'll make myself sick.” He buries his cheek into his pillowcase, closing his eyes.

Jared reaches out to touch the last of Jensen's healing injuries. “...you're healing well.” He leans over to kiss them better, just in case, getting a sweet smile from Jensen in response as he reopens his lids. “Barely a scratch on you except some light bruising.”

“I feel better too.” Jensen has yet another thing to thank Jared for, making him heal faster by giving him excellent nursing care. “Not as sore in the ribs and arms.” He knows it has everything to do with his new outlook on life to why he is feeling better, close to being all-the-way healed.

“So...” Jared bends an elbow to rest his head on as he shapes his hand up and down Jensen's side. “...once I find out if my bosses want me right away, we'll head to the diner for dinner. Let Sandy see you for herself. Then...well, you should call Aunt May before we leave here. Once we leave the diner we'll head out to her place, let her see you...and me. We can tell her everything or just let her in a little, all up to you.”

Jensen sighs heavy, turning his face into his pillow as he tucks a hand under his cheek. “She's not as bad as I've made her out to be. I'm not her son, so she doesn't meddle. At least not as much as she does with Sandy. I think we can tell her everything.” He smiles to himself. “I know she'll be ecstatic to see me settled—mated...on my way to having my own 'pup'.”

“We should pack a change of clothing in case we want to stay with her for a day or so.”

Jensen nods, feeling Jared settle and lay on his back. “I'm not gonna see her or Sandy for a while, am I?” He doesn't get upset when there's no reply to his question. Weird...how his heart aches to miss them since he had tried so hard to never be around either of them.

Jared bends his left arm and tucks it under his head. “We won't live in seclusion, but we'll get into a routine and the weeks will go by so fast, falling into months. Pretty soon, another year has gone by.”

Jensen sighs heavy at the mere idea of life moving so fast. “...god, I've love to lose myself in a life like that. I can't wait.”

Jared runs his right hand over Jensen's back, soothing him to ease and calm. “It's okay to miss them and your old life. It's bound to happen when you're out here, apart from the whole world being out there.”

“Strange the way I feel now, knowing what our life'll be like...I don't mind the seclusion as long as you're here an'...if you leave,” Jensen rolls to land on his stomach, causing Jared to fall out of him with a soft pop. “...promise to always come back.” He huddles into Jared's chest, burying his face away in the warm neck.

Jared hugs Jensen tight, hands cupping to pet over the shorter hair, He's feeling pangs of sadness for his mate, knowing what it's like to be lonely—alone...but unaware of being at fault for chasing others away. “...you're mine, Jen...no one else's...last thing I wanna do is lose you now that you're here with me.”

Jensen lifts his head as Jared drops his to the pillow. “Are we one of those 'didn't know you were right under my nose' couples?” The arm he rests on Jared's chest combs through tight curls.

Jared reaches to caress Jensen's features, like he's tracing him to memory. “You were always there...I just never paid attention.”

“Same here. I had Jared-fatigue...” They share a laugh and a solid smooch. “...then, I don't know...I think I started looking at you with my own biased eyes. Got kinda enticed by the 'bad boy' image.” His hand raises to outline with a finger along the protruding chin and jawline. He shrugs a shoulder. “Maybe I thought putting myself in jeopardy might set me in your radar.”

Jared combs back and through the dark blond hair. “I saw you...trust me. You've never lost your good looks, and I'd known you since...” He narrows his gaze to recall. “...jesus, a little after your first heat.”

Jensen nods his head. “I was 14...the first time I gave you a second glance. Awkward in my body and not really liking being an Omega.” He shakes his head, making a noise under his breath. “You Alphas...so much older and sleeker, like gorgeous colts breaking out of your pens. All of you were so close to graduation and I was without Sandy in school to help stop the constant name-calling, and bullying, about how pretty I was.”

Jared wrinkles his brow in concern. “It wasn't any of the Alpha or Betas I hung with, was it?”

Jensen shakes his head. “Once Sandy came over, after that summer we met, she really had filled out...that was when school got a bit easier for me.”

“Was this the start of your 'acting out'?”

“...mmm-yeah...something like that. I think I just wanted to stir up trouble for my mother, didn't care how I did it.”

Jared narrows his gaze as he wrinkles his brow in curiosity. “Did she simply drop you off and bail, or was it a gradual disappearance?” He makes sure to touch Jensen when they talk about his mother, using caresses as reassurances he's here.

“Gradual.” Jensen leans into the subtle touches, knowing they're there to keep him calmed and relaxed. “I'd stay with Aunt May more and more. Living with Sandy was different from seeing her on visits and at school. Our closeness became strained...don't know that I could ever get that back.”

“You should try, at least once.” Jared reaches out to touch Jensen's cheek, smoothing over the parted lips. “Sandy's always known you had a good in you, just that you'd become prickly and, maybe, you had rejected people before they could let you down or leave you. Tha's how I operated...before you.”

“...mmm...” Jensen wiggles his eyebrows in hilarity. “The Jared Timeline – Before Jensen, After Jensen...”

Jared pulls Jensen closer to lay half-on, half-off of his body. “We'll have a lot of those moments. Especially if we've conceived at all today.”

Jensen drops his gaze. “We're not stopping now, are we? I mean...” He's a bit embarrassed to asking if they can continue knotting at this level they've been going at. “—we can keep knotting...don't have to stop, knowing I'm not gonna die now—for sure?”

Jared tilts his head with a grin. “You're adorable when you're utterly clueless and surprisingly honest.”

Jensen drops his eyes with a blush. “I asked a stupid question, didn't I?”

“No...there are no stupid questions. You'd be stupid if you hadn't asked, and then let yourself worry for nothing.” Curling a hand around Jensen's neck, Jared answers as best he can with tongue in cheek. “When we return, either late tonight or tomorrow, if we stay at your aunt's...we'll probably have a few days where we stay in bed, or go out onto the futon. Or sleep outside in a sleeping bag. But we'll keep knotting until we truly don't feel like it anymore, and we fall into a regular routine.”

“mmm...what, like, 72hrs?...or a week?...a month?”

“Up to us. You've seen how in tune our bodies are...one of us being aroused will arouse the other.”

“So we'll knot until we taper off the arousal?” Jensen is genuinely inexperienced about this stuff, never having paid much attention in school when it came time to learn about his own body or about mating with an Alpha.

“...pretty much...or, we could go on sups together, then go off them—be somewhat in control. I don't know...” Jared shrugs his shoulder, looking into Jensen's wide eyes. “...what do you wanna do?”

Jensen shifts to settle high along Jared's body, pushes right up against him, then sink into him rather slowly. “I wanna be with you, all day and night, if that's possible.” He kisses down the face and cheek, nuzzling the ear and then the neck. “And I don't really like suppressors. I don't like being on them 'cuz I don't feel like myself.”

Jared feels much the same way, but he knows when it's imperative to be on suppressors. “Then we'll let nature take its course...” He smirks from one side of his mouth. “...though we may become extra exhausted trying to keep making up for lost time.”

“...mmm...” Jensen moves his body against Jared's lower half. “...nothing I'd like more than to sleep in your arms while you're inside me.”

“I have to agree.” Jared masterfully flips Jensen to land on his back, arms falling akimbo. “Give me a few minutes...I can make that happen for you.”

==&&==&&==&&==

They lazed the morning away until noon, feeding one another lunch in bed while bickering over bad daytime television.

When it was really time to get up and start their day together, Jared dressed in old clothes to run outdoors and start the fires. Since the rain moistened the ground and softened the kindling, Jared had brought out another metal barrel. He had told Jensen to stay in bed for at least another twenty-five minutes to a half-hour than him; by then, Jared might have a solid list of things they could do. Not to mention work in when and where they would take their shower [ or a bath, but Jared kept that to himself ]. It wasn't surprising that not much got done once Jensen added himself to helping with the camp chores and then how to clean and organize the trailer to better suit them as a couple. Jensen had tried to make mental notes in his head of things he had to remember to get when he was back at Aunt May's, but he kept pausing for too long in finishing a task; Jared made him sit with pen and paper to write everything he needed to pack and bring with him.

Jared was wandering all over the camp, yelling toward Jensen to remind him of specific things. He hadn't minded so much that Jensen wasn't helping him with chores; he was too much of a distraction. And Jared kept wanting Jensen to not try and be macho-manly since they could be—well, Jensen could be carrying. He knew Jensen would hate Jared coddling him, but...Jared had never had a mate to coddle, so this was new and exciting for him. Instead of caring for other pack members 'cubs', he could now focus on his own miscreant 'cub'. Jared had to admit that at some point Jensen hadn't minded sitting down and just writing, because he started not only making packing lists, and figuring out the items he could and couldn't bring with him, but he began jotting down To-Do lists and future goals...long ago dreams he'd only thought were impossibilities. Now Jensen had felt he simply had to be patient and it could come his way; his Alpha was proof of that theory.

Speaking of Jared...

Jensen looks over both shoulders, about ready to get off the benchseat of the picnic table when he hears the gunning and roar of Jared's Harley. And then Jared rounds the hitch hook-up of the trailer to park the hog almost in front of Jensen.

Jensen puts his chin in his hand, attaching the pen clip to the notepad. Jared revs the engine a few times, staring intensely at his mate like he wants him to have a visceral reaction of him mounted on his Big Boy Alpha toy. Jared cuts the engine, but shows how he can balance the massive framework between his thighs.

“Care to be my designated 'bitch'?”

Jensen snorts a laugh. “You couldn't pay me to sit on that killing machine.”

Jared pouts, caressing the handle bars. “What?...me no look sexy on bike?” He crosses his arms at the wrists over his black helmet. 

Jensen laughs louder this time, getting up to walk over, eying man and machine. Jared does have a beautiful seat with his thighs spread and flexing. “I'll admit it adds tons of 'sexy points', but...would you hate me if I asked you to think about exchanging it in for something safer once we know we're pregnant? I don't wanna bury you before I birth our 'pup'.”

“...jesus...” Jared uses his head to gesture Jensen to come to him, then hooks his helmet on one of the handlebars. “...c'mere...”

“Jay...no...” Jensen shakes his head to refuse outright, then crosses his arms at his lower back. “I don't wanna sit with you to be convinced you wouldn't mind fuckin' me on it or doing something kinky and naughty to fulfill your Alpha fantasies.”

Jared cannot help but laugh out loud, with his body shaking in pure humor. “Get the fuck over here. Now, Jen.”

Jensen bows his head as he strolls hesitantly around the front wheel to where Jared wants him to stand, then he reaches for him to yank to his chest. Arms go around waist, up the back to cup the nape and then Jared dives in and under to take Jensen's mouth, roughly at first, then he's smooth and tender. Like he tamed himself with the mere taste of his mate.

Jensen backs up, touching his lips as they vibrate. “Why'd you do that?”

“...because...” Jared keeps an arm around Jensen's waist, from the back. “...you actually took a stand, told me what you wanted and it's like you're planning for our future.”

Jensen furrows his brow to understand this correctly, “...so you kissed me 'cuz I acted like your mate?”

“mmm, yeah—yup...but, you took charge.” Jared softly taps two fingers on Jensen's chest. “You didn't lie and you told me how you honestly felt.” He looks down at the bike between his legs. “I don't even know why I bought this thing. I had intended to do nothing but travel, vagabond from one coast to the next, but it's tough when you're pack.”

Jensen glances around the entirety of the campground. “This is how far you can go before it hurts to leave...” He turns back to look deep into Jared's face as he tries to avoid looking directly at him; he snakes an arm around Jared in solidarity.

“...uh-huh.” Jared gives a slow nod, then makes a face with a small shrug. “Dumb, I know. So I kept the bike and it's helped a few times over the years, but I won't be sad to part with it.” He lifts his head to look at Jensen, coolly in the eyes. “Would you like a car of your own?”

“Jay...no...c'mon.” Jensen is quick to refuse because he doesn't deserve a car. “Get yourself something. I'll learn how to drive stick for that huge-ass hunk o'metal.”

Jared shakes his head. “My bike, my choice. I'm getting you a small car.” He nods his head once to make the decision. “It can be one for yourself or a family car when, uh...well, when we need to strap the 'pups' in and go places.”

Jensen stumbles toward Jared, fingers over his own mouth as he tries to stop his mate from talking so they can hear the whirring silence rushing by them. “ssshhh—ssshhh...quiet...”

Jared furrows his brow. “...what?”

“It's all moving so fast.” Jensen clears his throat, sniffles and stares down. He gives off a nervous laugh to show how he isn't ready for any of this, unless he has Jared with him. “I think I'll go dizzy and faint. I had nothing two days ago, now...I have everything.”

Jared secures an arm around Jensen to pull him flush with his front. “I'm sorry. We should agree to talk these things out, when we're more prepared and settled. One thing at a time, huh?”

Jensen curls his arm around Jared's neck. “mmm...I take that back, from before...we should at least try knotting one time on the bike. You know, like, in a memoriam or something.”

“...you're a goofball.” Jared attacks Jensen's throat, then dips him over the motorcycle. “...you need better details in your fantasies of me, don't you?”

“I'm a newly mated Omega, cut me some slack.”

“...oh...ohhhh...I'll cut you some slack!” Jared releases Jensen to which the Omega darts off in a playful chase around the front portion of the camp...and his Alpha's not far behind.

They race around the campground, Jensen hiding behind the set of new laundry hanging, and he starts storming around the trailer's front hitch to the back portion of the camp, and he stops short, simply because all that noise he had heard earlier, while he'd been writing his lists out, was apparently his Alpha setting up a large metal wash-basin in the back of the truckbed. It looks to be raised off the ground to give them the feel of luxurious hot tub or Jacuzzi tub. 

“...what?!did you do?!” Jensen turns on Jared, who is sauntering around to meet him, back to front.

They butt chests, green eyes staring in to search for truth and hazel eyes somewhere between mirth and affection.

Jared likes it when he had come at Jensen and Jensen had stepped backward. “...this is me, taking care of my mate. Got a problem with that, 'Mega?”

“...no...what I have a problem with is...” Jensen goes right for grabbing the hips low and dragging Jared into him. “...we're both way-too overdressed...especially you...” He works at untucking Jared's shirts to unbutton him out of the layers of clothing.

“ooo-look!...you got something on your—come here...I'll get it for you...” Jared unties the drawstrings of the sleep-pants to watch them pool at Jensen's ankles.

The both tilt their heads, diving in for a kiss; one leans down, one reaches up...and they liplock for several minutes, slowly ridding one another of one article of clothing at a time. By the second Jensen is completely naked, he starts to chatter his teeth, Jared sweeps him into his arms with a high yelp and carries him over to stand on the truckbed. In all his awesome and gorgeous glory, Jared removes the garden hose from the tub, then hooks the nozzle where he can reach it when they'll need more hot water. Jensen hasn't climbed in, he's kneeling to offer his mate a heft up onto the truck lining—even though he shivers.

Jared directs his mate to get in, or else, then he joins him. Once Jared sinks down to the rocky bedlining of the basin, he's covered in horny Omega to which he tries to catch his breath and kiss back as best he can. 

“I take it you're pleased with your bath tub...”

“...pleased?” Jensen moves to straddle Jared's lap. “...feel me? I think I'm more than pleased.” He tucks his arms in and huddles into Jared's chest. He sighs in contentment, feeling the intensity of hot water coupled with Alpha...scent, body heat and all those little nuances that make him fall more in love than he already knows he is. Jensen presses his cheek down into the shoulder, shutting his lids. “You'd've had me for sure, if you washed me in this bath, instead of on the futon.”

Jared's massaging over the wide, muscular back, down the lumbar region, to soothe over the ample mounds. He turns his head to kiss hair and bare nape. “I don't know...I like the intimacy...immediacy of a sponge bath...I have you at my mercy...”

Jensen twists to peck a row of tiny smooches up along Jared's shoulder to eventually drop kisses on lips. He draws away to plant hands on the tub rim beside Jared's head. “I should get used to this, huh? You're gonna spoil me rotten...treat me like a pampered princess...”

Jared stares at Jensen's mouth, hands reaching up to comb through the shorter spikes to cup the neck. “I won't let you get away with anything, but yeah...once I know you're truly mine... carrying my offspring...” Hands travel down to hold wide hips as one hand smooths over the abdomen. “You and the 'pup' will become more precious to me than life itself. I always imagined I'd treat my mate with the respect and love he deserved. He's giving everything of himself to the life inside him...I should repay that honor right at the start.”

Jensen swallows with some difficulty, leaning to merge their foreheads. A hand dives beneath the water to cup the Alpha's swelling knot...then lightly strokes the shaft. “...I need you...” He slides a hand to the shoulder and neck into long brown strands. “...need you so much now...”

They've fucked with a slowness that could be viewed as “making love”, but they've never taken their time to knot slowly...gentle and tender...

Jensen rises to move against Jared's chest. “...every time you speak to me like that...I die to have your knot...” He furrows his brow. “...you have such a differing ideal for your future that isn't somber or depressing...it's actually quite lovely, romantic...and optimistic...”

“I always knew you were out there...”

“...just unsure when I'd wake the fuck up...an' see the beautiful, loving...and downright sexy Alpha in front of me.”

“I'd never force you to do anything you didn't already feel like doing. I know firsthand how tough it can be to be Omega. Especially for mates...teased about how pretty and feminine you are...but I find everything that makes you Omega exactly what turns me on.”

“...just me...no other Omega arouses you?”

Jared tilts his head to look up at Jensen. “What do you think?” He thrusts gently against his mate's body.

Jensen grabs onto the rim behind Jared's head, reaching with his other hand to pull the cock down so he can let it shape along his crease. He moves up and down, squeezing the length between slippery cheeks. “I think it's time for me to take my rights as your mate...” He raises higher, angling his bottom so the cocktip slides over the puckered skin. “...and the bearer of your offspring...” Inch by achingly slow inch, Jensen slips his body down the entire cock to the knot, kissing and suckling Jared's neck and shoulder. He gradually pulls up and down several times, fast pacing until he slams against Jared's thighs and...he's filled with the still-swelling knot. He rocks forward, then backward, feeling the power of his Alpha's own arousal. Jensen secures an arm around Jared's entire head, tucking him in close. “...god...each time...no matter when...you make me come...” He kisses the moistening brown locks, speeding the tempo as he knots himself. Jared is pinned in the shape of the metal basin, unable to truly move like he wants. “...come in me, alpha...spill your seed like you're meant to do...”

Jared twists his head out of Jensen's hold, craning his neck back, blowing breathes as he feels his cock being coaxed into releasing. “...ohfuuuck—fuckfuckfuck...god...I'm coming...”

Jensen shapes Jared's straining neck. “...let it go, Jay...I've got you...I've got you now...ssshhh...I'm here...give me your seed...I'll take good care of it...”

With one jolt of his hips, and the pointed tip of his cock penetrating the womb, Jared shoots a long stream of seed into Jensen. “...ohgodohgod...mygod...” Jensen keeps moving, keeps contracting his walls and then a second burst emits of thick semen and Jared is quietly writhing and vibrating below Jensen, who simply embraces his mate to his chest, watching the beauty of the intense orgasm nearly rip his Alpha apart.

When Jared is finally able to focus, he leans his head on his left shoulder, blinking slow with a half smile at Jensen. “I don't know what we call that, but it wasn't like all those other 8 times.”

“8 times!?! You were counting?”

“...well, I kinda had to...all those old and new positions.” Jared chuckles as Jensen leans chest to chest, sharing heart beats and body heat.

“I think we made love by knotting...”

“...ohyeahhh...is that it's full name?”

“No. We can shorten it to, uhm...'we knoved'...'knoving'...the act of mates knotting while feeling the intense love connection they share...”

Jared wraps both arms around Jensen tight, trapping him to his torso. “...god...you have a fascinating mind...can't wait to see what else you can come up with.”

Jensen burrows in, tucking head under Jared's chin. “I'll try to keep it interesting enough to entertain you...make you smile, or laugh...you're so beautiful when you laugh.” He moves to kiss the neck, watching Jared dip his head in an almost bashful movement, a bit red in the face. “...awww...if I wasn't feeling this steam rising from the water, I'd swear you're blushing.” Jensen pushes his brow into the neck. “What're we laying on that's so smooth? Rocks?”

“...lava rocks...they're notorious for bein' excellent conductors of heat...”

“oh, wow...cool...I'm gonna shut my eyes now...m' a little sleepy...I give you permission to wash me while I slumber—if you like.”

“If I touch you, you won't be asleep for much longer.”

“mmm...no words have ever been truer...”

==&&==&&==&&==

Eventually, they did wash one another while awake, after they both took a small snooze. Once they jumped out, and down, off the truck, Jared had taken Jensen's hand, bringing him into the shower cubicle with the huge downpour spout. Jared had yanked on a chord and a large shower of water had cascaded down around them, so they could wash off suds and had more excuses to touch and tickle one another. Jared had sent Jensen off in a huge towel to dress in the trailer; he would follow soon. He had to drain the tub basin, get it off the truckbed, then give the truck its own bath to get rid of dirt and grime. It would now service them as a temporary family car; the Harley would take a backseat for a brief time until Jared whittled down all of his mates likes and dislikes to know what to get him for his own car. Jared had done everything in his own towel and bare feet, not even aware he had been wandering around without a shirt on, covering his scarred back.

Jared had to pause for a few seconds, scratch at his lower belly, then around at his back. He had let out a broad smile because he had known why he didn't care about his scars anymore and he had already begun to mis his mate, needing to be closer inside the trailer with him. Jared had thrown down the hose, quickly shitting off the water pump valve and wanders around the dirt that hadn't turned into mud and had started fast drying.

It's another hour before both of them are ready to leave and climb into the truck. Jared douses the fires, then locks up the trailer...it's not just his place now. He has chosen to drive them as he knows where they need to go. It's nearing four-to-four-thirty in the afternoon and their first stop is to the bail bondsman's office where Jared had to put in a new offer for his freelance work. He also wants to introduce his bosses to why he's changing his workload after all these years. They are ecstatic for Jared, stunned by how...striking Jared's Omega is and how much they clearly are just being mated. His boss is upset to lose such a reliable and good bounty hunter, but the reason for cutting back the hours and workload is obvious. His contract is put on a hiatus, for now, until Jared calls back with a revised version so everything can be legal and documented.

Next stop is the Sheriff's office which has caused some confusion in Jensen, but he follows at Jared's side. Everyone in the precinct knows Jared, quite curious to the younger man almost stuck to his hip, holding his hand occasionally. Some even notice the rings on the left hands, being the excellent detectives they sometimes can be. Luckily, for Jared, the Sheriff is in, which he already had known the man would be. And he's about ready to prepare himself to leave work to go home for the day.

Jared leaves Jensen in a chair in the breakroom, getting a coffee for himself and finding a soda for Jensen, then takes out his wallet once he finds the snacks and sweets in the Coin Cafe. Jared takes his coffee with him into the Sheriff's office, coming out almost thirty-five to forty minutes later; both men are laughing and chatting between them. Jared has brought the Sheriff into the breakroom to introduce him to Jensen.

Jensen knows the Sheriff all too well. Quite a few run-ins with his mother, and then Jensen's own brushes with the law. “...heyyy, Sheriff Morgan.”

“...well, I thought Jared was fibbin' with me that you were now his mate.” Jeffrey puts hands on his hips. “I see you made it through your second heat just fine.”

Jensen dips his head, ashamed. Jared pulls up to settle an arm across his mate's broad shoulders. “Your aunt alerted the Sheriff to keep an eye out for you. Tha's all.” He presses a kiss to the temple, letting his Omega curl into him. “He's still a little disjointed and shy 'bout doing all of this 'appearance' stuff, before we collect all his personal things and get him moved in...say some g'byes...”

Jeffrey nods his head. “Had to do that myself, way back when. My own mate and I were holed up in our cabin for, uh...somethin' like 4 months before we felt like even acknowledging there was a world outside.”

Jensen twists back around, clearing his throat. “I'm mostly shamed by all the, uhm...trouble I've been to you. You helped me so much durin' all the bullshit with my mother...”

“Son...there is no need to apologize to me. I been aroun' the block a few times to know you was actin' out an'...well, you'd come to your own crossroads soon enough.” Jeffrey lifts his chin to Jared. “File that report on Hartley when you can spare a minute or two. I'll have some deputies investigate exactly what kind of activity his new Alphas are up to. I don't want this kind of stuff reachin' my town.”

Jensen grows tense and nervous, looking between his mate and the Sheriff. “Do you need to question me, Sheriff Morgan?”

“No. I think it's best we keep you low profile. They obviously left you for dead, so let's allow them to think a little bit longer that they got what they wanted.” Jeffrey frowns, turning to Jared. “...this explains these anonymous tips we been getting on the Hotline 'bout the salt mines and scouring H-58 for a possible hit-n-run victim on the side of the road.”

Jared looks to Jensen. “Think those might be your friends?”

“...yeah...maybe...”

“Or Hartley finally grew a fuckin' conscious. Well, one would hope as low as he's beginning to sink with this new incident.” Jeffrey shakes his head, holding his hand out for Jared to take. “So, uh...I'll let you both go, get your night underway, an' get my sweet ass home. Jared, I'll leave it up to you to give me a buzz with an update when you'll be ready to start.”

“Will do, sir.”

“...please...it's Jeff...or just call me Sheriff. I don't even bother answerin' to 'sir'.” Jeffrey turns to Jensen. “I almost feel sad we won't be comin' into more contact.” He pats Jensen's biceps. “You couldn't have found a better Alpha to mate with. I do hope we see one another again, but on happier terms.” Jeffrey salutes two fingers off his brow. “...g'night, boys...”

“...'night, Sheriff...”

“...g'bye...”

Once they're left alone, Jensen spins to face Jared. “What does he mean? It's all rather ominous and secretive.”

“I've done some odd cases here and there for him.”

“The Runaways?”

“...yeah...they don't have the manpower to frivolously chase down every one of them. And some have been missing for months. Some are, uh...” Jared scratches at his forehead, squinting his eyes to try to say this a bit delicately. “...have passed on.”

Jensen jolts a little in shock. “Not all were in heat?”

“No...oh, no...some, but not all.” Jared directs Jensen to lead in front of him, he'll catch up as they walk out together. “Are you hungry or starving?”

Jensen opens the passenger side door, then hops in as Jared does the same on the driver's side. “...well, I did scarf down those chips and a pastry...not to mention a soda. I'm still ravenous.”

“Diner it is.” Jared nods his head in easy acceptance.

Jensen slides over, fitting over the hump and buckling himself in a lap seatbelt so he can be right next to Jared. “Is Sandy there tonight?”

“She should be.” Jared has already started the engine, letting it idle and warm. He stretches his own seatbelt across his chest and lap. “Why?” His arm stretches high along the benchseat's top.

Jensen leans into Jared's side, letting his left arm slide along Jared's thigh to cup the knee. “Just easier to catch her unawares at work than deal with her at the house.”

“Stop worrying, Jen.” Jared twists to nuzzle the hair and kiss Jensen's cheek. “It's gonna be fine. You'll see.”

Jensen wishes he had his mate's optimism. “God, I hope so. I have a lot I need to apologize for.”

Jared makes a face of frustration because he's pretty sure Sandra wouldn't be that petty. Well, he would hope she wouldn't be, after knowing her this long. They drive to the truck stop, parking in the regular customer lot. When the both exit out their doors, Jared notices Jensen huddling into himself like he's cold. He wanders over to tuck his mate under an arm, pressing a kiss to the temple closest to him.

“You don't seem worried about your cousin anymore.” Jared is still aware there's worry present, just of a different sort as Jensen's head darts around the parking lot. “What gives?”

“I think—I could just be seeing things—but I think I saw Justin's truck, maybe that Alpha's Camaro.” Jensen clears his throat, tucking his hands away inside pockets to keep warm. “Sheriff wanted me to lay low.”

“...yeah, but...in all honesty. I doubt they'd notice you.” Jared lets a hand sweep through Jensen's shorn locks, like he's tucking strands behind and ear. “Your haircut gives you such a drastic change from before.”

“My injuries to my face...they don't—?” Jensen pauses on the sidewalk to let his mate look at his full face, make sure nothing was weird or out-of-place. 

Jared tilts his head forward, raising an eyebrow. “I would assume that Justin and a few of his crew think you look worse.”

“mmm...” Jensen gives a tiny shrug of both shoulders, his head still darting around even when they walk into the warm building. “I don't know.”

“Trust me...” Jared smooths a hand over Jensen's back, curling up and around a shoulder bone. “...the last thing on Hartley's mind is you making it out alive to a full recovery, probably thought—just like you—that Omega's quickly succumb to death if they don't mate during second heat. Plus, all of your injuries during the fight.”

Jensen nods his head, now he's fearful of being spotted. He notices that there's a good crowd of patrons tonight. “Do you sit in a booth when you're here?”

“No.” Jared points toward the counter, and the waitresses behind them from where he stands. “The counter.”

Jensen is already slipping out of his jacket once he spots an exact place to visit when this session I over. “...then that's where I'll head toward.”

They got past the Hostess podium, parted ways as Jensen went for the stools at the breakfast counter. Jared scopes out the layout of the Diner and discovers that Hartley was here, just in the back portion where the overflow is directed when the place is super busy. With one last look toward Jensen, watching him straddle a stool at the counter, Jared dons the persona he often uses when catching parolees and the runaway pack members when he first comes upon them. Some of the 'cubs' had never had an authoritative figure loom over them and bark orders to obey. 

Jared starts walking but happens to catch sight of Danneel, inside the back kitchen area. It appears as if she's trying to prepare herself to serve them food. But she's trying to control tears, black mascara blotches her face and black streaks fall down her flushed cheeks.

“Hey...” Jared relaxes in the doorway.

 

**== &&==&&==&&==**   
**TBC...**


	6. Chapter 6

Danneel startles, laughing nervously with a hand on her heart. “...oh, my...I thought you were—-” She gulps to look away. “All men are jerks...human or pack.” Danneel declares as she gives a side-glance to Jared. “...except you...m'sorry 'bout last time.”

“I hurt you. Say it.” Jared gestures to her, giving her the benefit of doubt. “You came at me from a raw, hurt place.” He shook his index finger at her to show her the mistake she had made. “But you attacked my mate without even knowing him as well as you could with a bit of effort.”

Danneel nods her head, hesitating to pick up the circular food tray. “I never really had you, did I?”

“You spread yourself too thin between pack members.” Jared nears to place a hand on Danneel's shoulder, giving her a squeeze. “Especially the Alphas. They mate once and if they never do, they wouldn't pick a human...sorry. You're more of a kink for them or a sex toy.”

Danneel snorts out a laugh. “Eh, yeah...kinda feelin' that way right 'bout now.” She angrily swipes at each cheek. “I thought Justin liked me, but...it's like I'm being tossed between the whole pack.” Danneel clears her throat, looking down at the food growing colder. “I figure I better cut my losses soon or I'll be trapped in a, uh...very unflattering position.”

Jared gestures for Danneel to leave through the swinging door that will take her back into the kitchen. “Go back to the front. Hartley won't be here much longer.” He picks up the tray of plates like a professional waiter. “I'll take care of them, and I'll settle their bill if they dine and dash.”

Danneel pushes her backside against the door. “You're one of the good ones, Jared.”

Jared rolls his eyes. “Go look in a mirror before you scare diners away.”

Danneel pretends to look miffed, but she knows she must look a fright. She wishes she could watch Jared feed these 'cubs' their asses. She leaves through the swinging door.

Jared swivels around the corner to come down the passageway. He sees that the 'cubs' are the only patrons back here. They crowd one booth, but clump around like they can't be parted; some straggle into tables and other booths not too far away.

A few of them catch sight of Jared, especially since he's carrying in their food. They hit each other to quiet down until finally Justin is made aware.

Jared plops down the tray holder, then puts the circular tray down. “Hey...I'm gonna be your server for the rest of the night.” He rubs hands together, plastic smile on his face. “All right...speak up if you see your meal, 'cuz I kinda suck at this—-my first day an' all...”

The younger 'cubs' raise hands to get their plates, but the older ones, who know who Jared is, swat their hands down.

“...he coulda done something to the food, man...”

“I didn't...” Then Jared narrows eyes on them. “...or did I?”

“...awwww, dude...nooo...”

Some get up to leave in frustration.

“Told ya' we shoulda hit the drive-thru!”

A few of the pack members start to rally around Justin's booth while Jared grabs a random chair, spins it on its axis to place the shape backwards so he can straddle the seat. As he sits, he stares across at Justin's cool glare toward him; the Beta is pushed into the corner of the benchseat like he's King over his court.

“I see some things never change, Hartley.”

“Not if they're good at the start, Padalecki.”

“...mmm...” Jared glances around at the new, and some familiar, faces. “...you, uh...an' your little crew here wouldn't happen to know 'bout some...disturbances at the salt mines the other night? Or the, uhm...report of a mysterious body found on H-58?” He notices how some of the 'cubs' fidget, even the older ones.

“...nah...” Justin murmurs. Low and chillingly. “...can't say as I have much to tell, but then again...I don't have to tell you much of anything, Tracker.”

“hmm...yeah...'bout that...” Jared reaches into his jacket lapel to pull out his new Sheriff's deputy badge. He clips it outside his jacket so Justin and the other 'cubs' can see. “Seems I've taken on this, uh...special task force set up by the county and manned by the local Sheriff's office. Something 'bout delinquent 'cubs' and pack gangs.” Jared looks around at all the averted faces. “You boys wouldn't know anything 'bout that either, would you?”

This causes a good majority of the ones left to bail. Some slap money on the table just to be safe—-only paying for what they drank.

All the pack members that are left are Hartley...and two 'cub' bodyguards.

Jared stands to put the chair back where he had gotten it from, bringing all the plates over and sliding them one by one across the empty table to almost have them spill into the pack members' laps—-like hockey pucks on smooth ice. Then Jared plops down next to the lone 'cub' opposite Justin and the second 'cub'. “Can I get anyone some refills? You?...or you?”

There is some heavy breathing, low growling emitting from the bodyguard-like 'cubs'.

“What do you want...Deputy.” Justin snarls out, trying the Alpha's new title.

“What I want...” Jared sets his long arm along the top of the benchseat, bumping the head of the 'cub'. “...is justice being served...fairly.” He reaches to pick up a fry and chomp on the end. “...buuut...I'm kinda bound by laws now, but that don't mean I won't use any method I can to find loopholes through those laws an'...see the bad guys put to a just and fair end.”

Justin is silent, but the 'cub' beside him gets antsy.

“Packs like us are growing. We're just a pebble in a big fuckin' ocean.”

“No...see 'cuz whem you all are face-to-face with consequences, suddenly you claim to be small and insignificant, but...you keep rubbin' elbows with Alphas who are clearly 'big time'...you're gonna wish to hell it was just the Sheriff's office hauling you in.” Jared blinks, taking another fry, then stares at Justin. “Or didn't your fearless leader here happen to mention that the Alphas he's got circling are on the FBI's Most Wanted list...?” 

“...jesus christ...” The 'cub' next to Jared can't bear to look at Justin. “We didn't wanna dump him...”

“Shut!Up!”

“...shut the fuck up, man!”

“No!” The 'cub' is clearly on his last nerve. “Fuck you two!. He already knows it was us—-US! Not your fuckin' Prince Alpha...mother fuckin' jackass...we'll get framed if he dies, man.”

Jared furrows his brow as he glances around the varying facial expressions around the booth table. “Who dies?”

The 'cub' turns to Jared, his mouth is gaped to say something. “—you said...'mysterious body at the side of the road'...it was found...doesn't that mean a dead John Doe?”

“...well, had you been truly paying attention, you'd've heard me say 'a report' of a body...because the Sheriff's office went out there and couldn't find a body along H-58.”

“...ohgod...” The 'cub' near Jared closes his eyes in being duped into a confession, while Justin and the second 'cub' rip into him.

“...holy shit...you fuckin' dipshit! 

“We told you to shut your yapper! I knew you do somethin' like this to us. I knew it!”

Jared can tell there's been some dissension since Jensen's beating. “Family told the officers that the, uh...” Even though he knows every single detail, right down to what they actually did to Jensen, he still plays dumb. “...Omega, wasn't it? involved had hit his second heat...”

Justin and the two 'cubs' go wide-eyed with fright and even more nervous tension.

“...so, you all better hope that 'cub' found shelter or was able to find a mate, 'cuz if any of your lead Alphas find out you're guilty of bringing about the death of an Omega, when it's the most sacred time for a pack...I doubt very much that you'll be allowed to congregate so freely anymore. I'd see an end to you...and packs like you, for good.” Jared slides out of the benchseat to stand. “...just FYI, boys...pay your bill an' don't forget to leave your waitress a good tip.” He wipes his palms together as he walks away without looking back. He cuts through the small kitchen entrance, making his way toward the main Chef area where he knows Shelby will be at his grill, like every night for the past two decades. Jared leans on the wall, crossing his arms to look at his old friend. He can see his “usual” already being cooked. “Do you ever take a day off?”

Shelby looks up with a wide smile, tipping the brim of his cap. “Nah...don't mind, really. I'd rather make sure this place runs smoothly before I rest.”

“I took care of those miscreant patrons for you.” Jared pushes off the wall to walk across the tiled floor.

“...yeah...I saw Danni—-well, what she would show me. Had I known...once I knew it was you replacing her...” Shelby turns to see through the Chef's cutout that Hartley has indeed left, taking their noise and rowdiness elsewhere. “...an' there they go. Beautiful. Blessings, Jared...thanks...”

Jared motions with his chin to his badge. “I'm workin' under the Sheriff...legitly. I'll be tracking down the 'cub' gangs. Little drips at a time for the bigger ripple. I can't work miracles but I'm sure gonna try.”

“I trust ya'. You brought down the crime rate in this place since you been catchin' them parolees. Plus, havin' your face be around regularly scares off the ones who don't wanna tangle with you again. You'll make that Sheriff's office what it used to be. No offense to Morgan, but...it's 'bout time we took back our towns and our homes, stopped deferring to lead Alphas every damn time.”

Jared lets his eyes wander, looking out at Jensen seated at the counter. It appears as if Sandra and Danneel were watching over him. “Shel, it's different when it's someone you love. When it reaches too close to home for you to not do something drastic.”

Shelby stares at Jared, then follows where the Alpha's gaze has drifted. “ahhh...Sandy mentioned you might've found yourself that true mate you been searching for.” He squints his eyes. “Who is he? Seems to be familiar to the girls.”

Jared side-eyes Shelby in curiosity. “You should put on your glasses. Might help with your piss-poor eyesight.” With a wide smile, he motions toward the cutout with his chin. “Tha's Jensen...Jen...Sandy's cousin...”

Shelby looks again, staring harder. “huh...Donna's boy? Really?” He wrinkles his brow in confusion because that sure didn't look like who he had last seen Sandy's cousin appearing like. “I thought he looked, uh...prettier...with that white-ish blond hair an' all.”

Jared isn't offended. Shelby is an old school pack member, trying to conform with his customers no matter how stubborn he is to change. “We got rid of all that white blond.” He rubs at his chin, his eyes only focused on Jensen. “This is what was found underneath.” Jared likes watching from a distance; he's perfected it. It allows him a bird's eye view of a scene he's about to walk in on shortly. This time it's more of that old nervousness encroaching of doubting whether Jensen would even remotely like him much less lean towards deep affection.

Shelby now glances at Jared. “...oh, wow...you are 'gone'...g-o-n-e...for this one.” He is, literally, stunned into quiet, but wants to say something. “Wow, thought I'd be dead and buried for years before this feat happened, seeing you in love and properly mating.”

Jared drops his head, a little bashful. “He's been right here all this time. Took a near fatal event for me to finally make a move.”

Shelby smirks, nodding slowly. “The good ones always make the effort worthwhile. Is he why you've taken on a real job?” He motions toward the badge.

“yes...” It's not just him or Jensen anymore, there's a possibility of a true family again...a pack, with their first 'pup', to consider. “...in a helluva lot more ways than I thought I'd consider.”

“He love you?” Shelby knows this is foolishness to ask, but he wants to know.

Jared is fairly certain Jensen is, but that he won't say it to an extent until he knows for certain. Jensen will make slight references to how he feels, but won't say it outright. “If he isn't, he's on his way to feeling as intensely as I do.”

“It's nice, huh?” Shelby knows what his feeling is like a little too well, which is why he lives here and not out in the world. “Havin' a mate...not bein' alone...”

Jared nods his head in agreement, feeling emotions choke his throat. “Seconds after losing Megs...was pretty certain I'd never love like that...never let anyone in, to just end up losing them...”

Shelby nods his head, flipping the food on the grill one last time. “You been lonely long enough. Your sister's death wasn't your fault. I hated seein' you keep punishing yourself like that. Still young and virile enough to move on, find a mate and start your own pack.”

Jared turns to face Shelby, leaning on a counter ledge. “Did I ever 'thank' you, back then...for taking me in, practically savin' my ass, then handing me the keys to your very home?”

“You did, boy.” Shelby nods his head, closing his eyes to the emotions rushing through him for the Alpha in his kitchen. “Plenty of times.”

“Every time I see you...” Jared shakes his head because it doesn't take much for him to understand what Jensen means when he continues to “thank” him for saving his life; he knows all too well what the sensation is like to have and feel he owes someone an unending debt of gratitude to being alive, and still sane. “I'm reminded of those days...first word I wanna say is...'thanks'...”

“...well, you haven't disappointed me since.” Shelby tries to steer the conversation elsewhere, a bit embarrassed that Jared never lets him forget what he did for him. “An' it was nice to have the company while you recoup'd from your injuries.”

Jared nods his head again, remembering those sleepless nights, laying on his stomach on the futon while his back slowly healed. He watches Shelby prepare the two plates, then moves to stand and walk over so he can grab them. Jared pats the old wolf's back. “We may not be truly our own pack, but I've always thought of you as family.”

“...you too, son...you too.” Shelby wipes at his eyes with his shoulders, turning to hand Jared the two dishes he prepared. He hesitates to reach up and shape his pudgy hand over the flat cheek and strong jaw. “You're a good man, Jared...you deserve everything tha's comin' for ya'...”

Jared leans into the touch briefly, recalling the gruff, gnarled hand tending to him, cleaning and redressing his wounds. “...thanks...for my life...an' this delicious food...”

Shelby tenderly mushes Jared's face. “Don't think jus' 'cuz I'm Beta you can get away with shit.”

“...never, Shel...never...” Jared backs out of the swinging kitchen doors and strolls down the serving side of the breakfast counter. He plays like their plates are different, but they aren't. “Which one you want?”

Jensen almost seems to breathe easier having spotted his mate coming toward him. His smile shapes easily over his mouth. “Does it matter?”

“No.” Jared switches them anyway, then lifts the horizontal door to walk out from behind the counter. He wanders around to slip out of his leather jacket, taking the empty stool Jensen has been saving for him. Hand below on his Omega's thigh, Jared nuzzles the neck and hair, giving a light kiss to warm skin. “mmm...miss'd you...could feel you getting concerned.”

Jensen scoots to be closer, thigh brushing thigh. “...I was gettin' hungry too.” He tentatively starts eating. “What did Justin have to say for himself?”

“Not much. He brooded at me...I did most of the talking.”

“They all kept pouring out of the back. Sandy said they were kinda dickish with Danneel.”

“...yeah...I think Hartley's like most pack who find innocents like her—-good sex toys to toss around to other members. He finds out what turns her crank, then he exploits it to the underling 'cubs' who haven't found mates or have escaped their mates an' just crave sexual release.”

“...christ!...how scary for her...man...” Jensen shakes his head, looking to see if anyone is around, then dips in to ask. “Did you and she—-Danneel—-ever—?”

“Yes.” Jared isn't interested in the past anymore, but he won't lie.

“...oh...” Jensen springs back upright. “I thought you'd whitewash it...oh-kayyy then...” He goes back to eating, unaffected by the admission.

Jared's a bit stunned by Jensen's ease of acceptance. “Why did you ask?”

“...c'mon...you know how gorgeous and bad boy sexy you are. I'd be a fool to think you saved yourself to mate with me. Plus...well, she's never liked me an' she was kind of cool and distant when I asked if she was 'okay'...”

“She's not taking it well that I'm no longer available. She knew what we were—-just causal sex...an' sometimes more random than causal. Having sex with humans—-male or female is good at first, but...there's a want and need for an Alpha and his knot. Knowing beforehand this innocent will never truly be a mate...” Jared shakes his head. “...you keep feeling empty and dead inside. It's tough to fuck and knot without feeling desperation to be a wolf...an Alpha, not just your 'knot'. There's a...” He gestures outward from his chest. “...there's just something other pack give off to an Alpha that humans can't take. ...christ...was that even clear?”

Jensen chuckles, sipping his soda to swallow as he leans heavily on Jared. “I understood. Don't worry. Same with my college fling.” He clears his throat. “He aroused me, at first. Sex felt good, but after a while...he just...he almost wished I'd tame myself. Didn't understand why I wanted more or, uhm...needed him deeper, harder. Apparently...” Jensen leans in to inform his mate about his sexual prowess in the bed. “...I'm high maintenance in the bedroom.”

“oh? Are you?” Jared lightly snickers, shaking his head as he simply has to disagree. “You seem perfect to me the nearly ten times I took you.”

They share similar smiles, bending toward one another, both turning to quickly kiss and snicker.

“...oh, sheesh...get a room, you horny love-'cubs'...” Sandra bellows as she brings over cup and saucer for Jared. She watches her stunning cousin actually blush and turn to huddle into Jared's side. It's clear to her how shy being in love, and loving an Alpha like Jared, makes Jensen extra sensitive.

“Pour him one too.” Jared shoves over the coffee cup for Jensen, tapping the counter for another. “We'll have a very long night of driving around and packing boxes and suitcases.”

Sandra walks over another set of cup and saucer. “You two stayin' with Ma?”

Jensen nods, slowly coming back to face his plate and eat his food.

Jared chuckles deep, arm around Jensen's back to bring him in and kiss his flushed cheek, then nibbles at a spot behind an ear. “...uh, sorry...yeah-yes...” He bumps Jensen's side. “Think we'll freak out your roommates?”

“eh...” Jensen shakes his head at first, then shrugs because he's never truly gotten close to his roommates. “...they probably don't even know I'm gone.”

Jared knows they've avoided discussing the whole entire night of Jensen's beating, so he's asking a random question when he needs to, rather than assume. “They weren't any of the friends you brought with you to Hartley?”

“No. Just pack I ran with in school. Haven't done much with their lives either.”

Jared wipes off a smudge of ketchup from Jensen's face, licking it off his thumb.

“...oh, gross...” Sandra bolts back where she had come from. She stands in front of the counter-top pie and cake slice dispenser, taking out two slices. She moves to get forks, then she grabs for the Reddi-whip.

Jared softly laughs. “I don't know why she's being so snooty. I swear she and her Alpha were just like this when they first mated.”

Jensen scoots closer, arms across Jared's back as he leans against him. “I don't think she's in the happy home life she thought she had been promised.”

“...huh?” Jared is shocked and slightly confused. “Her Alpha was my best friend. As far as I knew, he's been hooked on Sandy way back when. Yeah, he flirted, probably fucked but didn't knot a few pack, but...I remember him being decent—-behaving, I mean.”

“I know...” Jared looks up to see Sandra walk over the two plates of pie and cake. “oh...I don't think we'll have enough time, or room, in our stomachs for—”

Jared detects that Sandra will possibly smash either slice in Jensen's face or lap. “Put 'em down, Sandy. If we don't eat them here, we'll take them to-go.” She sets them down quite loudly, then takes off with another coffee carafe. “...jesus christ...okay, I take that back—-the assumption I made that she'd warmly accept you back. What's got her panties in a twist?”

Jensen looks over his left shoulder, toward a far away booth that Sandra is making her way toward. He and Jared watch her descend upon the dark-haired male patron and the very beautiful female seated in front of him who Jared seems to recognize briefly. “I think they're being pressured to have a 'pup'.”

Jared watches as Sandra steps up to the male customer, hand sloping across the upper shoulder blades to prove possession. As the man turns in profile, Jared notices it's James...James Lafferty, Sandra's Alpha. He's still blocked on who the other female is, whether she's pack or not. It looks to be a very tense and hyper-sensitive situation. Sandra tries to pour them each coffee, letting her Alpha shape his arm around her waist, holding tight to her right hip off her apron strings.

“oh...an' one of them doesn't want to?”

Jensen stresses the point of this whole situation. “...neither of them.”

“oh, well...” This is one of the reasons why Jared's grateful for having no pack around him; he can choose his own mate. “...is lead Alpha forcing the issue?”

“...yes...” Jensen reaches out to smooth a hand over Jared's biceps, thinking this is the clincher that upsets his cousin and her Alpha. “...an' he's even picking the Omega who'll mate with them.”

Jared takes another peek at the female, shocked that she's Omega...she looks more Beta, like Sandra. “ouch...does Sandy not like the choice?”

“uh, it's a toss-up...like some kind of warped mating game.”

“...hehehe...cute...” Jared starts to doctor his coffee in his usual fashion.

“One is from in town, who they don't know. Another is—” Jensen leans in to wipe his fingers on his cloth napkin. “—-she was a few years behind Sandy in school, and they both know of her. And the last one...” He looks over his shoulder again. “...that's her, over there...known to them both, an old interest of James'...”

This time when Jared looks, he narrows his gaze. He's a bit speechless, rolling over names in his head. “...lemme guess...James'd rather be with someone he's comfortable with, someone he knows he's already compatible to already.”

“...yup, and Sandra assumes it's best to go with Bachelorette 2, 'cuz that's who she knows...” Jensen lifts an eyebrow in a curious confession of his own. “...well, knows and can stand.”

“mmm...” Jared nods his head in complete agreement. “...most of the female Omegas—-hell, even the male ones—-Sandy turned her nose at.”

Jensen dips toward Jared. “...an' this is why she and I lost our closeness.”

“hmm...” Jared hates hearing this, knowing that Jensen is probably more right than he'd like to think. “...she sure does hide her rage well, if you honestly upset her like you think.” He wipes the cloth napkin over his mouth, giving a long stare to Jensen's profile. “Do you feel it'll cause a deeper rift? Want me to talk to her?”

“nonono...god, no...” Last thing Jensen wants to do is bring Jared in on whatever is wrong between him and Sandra. “I'd rather keep a safe distance and not poke the savage bear with the short stick.”

“...well, crap...” Jared nuzzles and kisses Jensen's cheek. “I don't like you losing family, losing pack...because of me.”

“I'm gonna really be on her shit list if I'm carrying.” Jensen closes his eyes to absorb Jared's heat and scent. “She already thinks I had it easy being an Omega thus far.”

“...oh, god...a Beta with Omega-envy...” Jared shakes his head that he's beginning to understand a bit of why Sandra is the way she is concerning Omegas. “...tha's the worst.”

Jensen rolls his eyes and stabs a few pieces of food with his fork. “...christ, sometimes I wish I could give her an ounce of what I've gone through. She doesn't know how truly good she has it.”

“This isn't a good place for you to be right now. ” Jared one-arm hugs Jensen closer. “I can see that, and I think it's beginning to depress you.”

“...m'sorry...”

“Don't be. One less person we need to worry about while we're mating in hibernation. I can deal with just Aunt May. She likes me...an' obviously loves you.”

“...obviously...”

“What's not to love?”

“oh, shit...get out pen and paper, let's make a list...”

“no...I'm done holding onto the past. Nothing but present and future from now on.”

“Promise?”

“uh-huh...”

“Jared...”

“mmm-hmmm?”

“...just 'thanks', again...you know, for being, uh...being—”

Jared cuts him off by squeezing his hand to shut up. “...stop...but, yeah...always my pleasure to 'be'...”

==&&==&&==&&==

Jared pulls into the lower portion of Aunt May's driveway. It's quite crowded, but Jared was able to get the truckbed not to hang over the driveway and into the street, just over the sidewalk slant. He puts his hand on the door handle, giving a sharp glance to Jensen.

“...you okay?” Jared can't help but notice how stiff Jensen has been since they've gotten closer to reaching May's house. He still is seated right next to him, in the truck, but he's not leaning as heavily as he used to.

“uh, yeah...I just—” Jensen squeezes his eyes shut, not sure if he should warn Jared or just let him see for himself. “I may need to warn you.”

“...'bout what?”

“Aunt May...she's...”

Jared knows he doesn't need to inform him of how his aunt reacts to things, but he's never truly been privy to the closeness between Jensen and May. “Jen, you don't need to 'warn' me.”

Jensen turns his head, already noticing his aunt walk off the porch to come toward the truck in the driveway. “...no, man...I think it's me.” As he works on the handle, he dips his head to try and quietly tell Jared what might happen. “When she's around me, she gets...a bit overemotional...”

“...oh...it's okay...” Jared waves away Jensen worry.

“...all right...” Jensen shrugs, then sighs. “...don't say I didn't warn you.”

“Jen, I don't imagine that she'll...”

Jensen opens his door, already seeing the hands covering the mouth and the moisture shimmering in the eyes. “...I made it, Auntie...” He softens his tone, twisting to slide down and out of the truck, planting feet on ground.

Jared is out, shutting his own door, looking at Jensen's aunt launching herself into his arms, then just bawling her eyes out rather loudly; she muffles her sobs into Jensen's new clothes and jacket. Jared reaches into the truckbed to pull out their collection of bags for an overnight stay. As he wanders around the back fender, Jared can see Jensen hug and soothe over his aunt's hair and along her back; he keeps repeating words like, “I'm okay”...”I'm here now”...“...stop cryin', you'll make yourself ill”. And when Jared rounds up the side Jensen and his aunt are on, he stands there, patiently waiting for the moment Aunt May might stop blubbering uncontrollably, but she won't let go of Jensen. She's up to sniffling and muttering in-coherencies, then Jared gets the signal from Jensen to not wait, to simply walk into the home, since the front door is wide open.

Jared leans over to kiss Jensen's forehead, petting over his hair. He notices that his mate has shed some tears of his own, only because he's not used to this much love and affection poured onto him. Jared criss-crosses one bag's strap over his chest, while slinging the other over a shoulder. “You'll be all right with the take-out?”

“...yeah, Jay...thanks, man...”

“I'll make us some coffee then, if there isn't a fresh pot brewing.” Jared gives out a small smile, wishing he could wait with Jensen.

Jensen watches Jared leave, brushing through his aunt's blonde locks. “...oh, maymaymay...what am I gonna do with you?”

May sniffles a snicker on her nephew's chest. “Take me out to a cornfield and shoot me. Put me outta my misery.” She tries to pull away, but she feels tears brewing again. “I thought when I got older, havin' gone through menopause, I'd be cranky and cantankerous. Instead, I'm Ms. Waterworks.” May brings out her bundle of tissues and her handkerchief. “Sandra always teases me relentlessly when I do this.”

“She's the one we should take out and shoot.” Jensen cups the sweet cherub face, then wipes over the flushed cheeks. “I might mind it when I'm bringing someone over who has never met you, but...I've never minded it personally. I guess we all choose our battles, huh?”

May's wiping at her own face and under her nose as she glances around. “Did I miss your mate, dear?” She stops moving when Jensen bites his lips from smirking. “...oh, boy...don't tease me now. I just shamed myself in front of your Alpha. Made both of us—-well, who knows what people think of us. You an' I have always had an unconventional bond.”

“...like mother and son...”

May smiles, reaching to cup Jensen's face. “...god...look at you...” She pulls at both sides of the cropped hair. “So short, hon'...but, you look so grown up...not my little Jen no more...”

“I haven't been 'little' for nearly a decade, May. But I guess I didn't help much by tryin' to rebel like I did.”

“Well, you know how I feel 'bout that.”

“Yes, I do. And you need to forget her. I think we both do.” Jensen is a bit stunned when his aunt tugs away. “...hey! c'mere!...”

“...no, c'mon...it's gettin' chilly out.” May pulls out of Jensen's reach, wrapping her sweater around her body as she ventures back the way she came. “House is warmer. I, uh...I'm puttin' you in Bobby's old room.” She watches him pull out the plastic bag of Sandra's work—-Shelby's—-to show that he's brought take-out with him, or leftovers. “Figured your room with the old Twin's too small for you and, uh...god...can't believe I keep forgettin' to get Sandra to tell me the name of your mate. At least one clue.” May keeps looking back as her nephew follows her diligently.

“I think she did it intentionally. And when I called you before we left the camp, I had some idea you knew, thinking she couldn't wait to let you know.” Jensen shrugs one shoulder, walking his aunt through the front door and shutting the paneling behind him. “Maybe she didn't say anything 'cuz she thought you might react bad or object to who he is.”

“Hate your Alpha?” May screws up her face like she's outraged. “Hate the man who saved my boy from certain death?”

Jensen blushes, hanging his head as he turns the locking mechanism. “It's not an immediate death, May...so let's not get melodramatic.”

“I don't care. He still saved you, Jen. He could be Beelzebub himself...I'd still think highly of him.” May goes stiff as she can hear distant noises. “Wha's that? Is someone in my kitchen?”

**== &&==&&==&&==**   
**TBC...**


	7. Chapter 7

Jensen chuckles deeply. “...yes...he's trying to make coffee.” He motions weakly toward the back of the house he's always thought of as home. “Why don't you go swat him outta your kitchen with a broom, like you used to do with me.”

“A broom?” May is flabbergasted she was ever so cruel to Jensen. “I really did that to you?” She lightly touches her chest as if in apology.

Jensen tenderly covers the hand to reassure she mainly would chase him out of the kitchen once she found him rooting around in cupboards or the fridge; he wasn't used to a house consistently full of such good food. “Your kitchen is your sanctuary. Trust me...you never allowed me to forget.”

“...well, you're right 'bout that.” May takes hesitant steps past the main staircase, down the short corridor toward her huge kitchen. Standing at the doorway, she belts out, “Hey! Whattaya think you're do—?!?!” And she never finishes bellowing as she lets out a near-scream in stunned shock, then she takes a short jog to the massive Alpha and punches him in the arm.

“ow!ch! How come he gets the huggy-weepy May an' I get the screaming twitchy banshee May who punches?!” Jared pretends the soft punch actually hurts. “How you doin', Aunt May?”

“I do...you big dope. I do.” May feels new tears brewing as she waves Jared over. “Git over here...an' give me a proper hug.” She already has her arms open wide for him. 

Jared clomps near, then dips to secure one arm, lifting May clear off her feet, showing how strong he is. He laughs as she screeches to be put down, then when he does...he hunches over to embrace her with both of his huge arms. “I miss'd you, Ms. McCoy.”

“aggghhh...” May pushes back, grabbing the whole of Jared's head. “I see you didn't get any uglier.”

Jensen's jaw drops. “May!”

“It's okay, Jen.” Jared laughs outright, kissing May's plump cheek. “May's had her sights on me to sweep her daughter off her feet for years.”

May shakes her index finger at Jared. “I almost had you as my fated son-in-law...then that fool Lafferty boy had to one-up you.”

Jared looks toward Jensen and winks. “...the better man rightfully won her hand.” They share a look of understanding as Jared is glad not to be Sandra's Alpha in the situation the mated couple is in now.

May glances from Jared to Jensen. “So...you've liked boys all this time?”

Jared and Jensen snicker together, both feeling flushed and bashful.

Jared doesn't know quite how to explain to not sound confusing for a female Beta of May's generation. “...well, it, more or less, has everything to do with your nephew...who just happens to be a male Omega I'm highly attracted to.”

May side-eyes Jared, crossing her arms. “...so, you're 'him'?”

“...yup...I'm 'the one'.” Jared even uses the stupid “air quotes” to proclaim himself as the Alpha who saved Jensen's life.

“eh...you'll do.” May pets Jared's cheek, then playfully shoves him away. “And you!” She paces over to Jensen.

Jensen puts up hands to ward off anything coming toward his person, but all May does is take his face again. “What?!...please, don't...maaayyy...” She pinches his cheek mercilessly. “...pin'h muh 'heeks...”

“He hates when I do this.” May softly cackles as she watches her nephew roll his eyes and allows her to “baby” him.

Jared chuckles deeply as his eyes crinkle in sheer happiness. “I see that.” He leans back on the counter, loving this different side to his mate he's being allowed to witness firsthand.

May crosses her arms over her chest. “Is it too late to give you 'The Talk'?”

“uh...a little.” Jensen gives another wide-eyed “look” to Jared that makes them both laugh heartily.

“You do know you can talk to me.” May turns to face both men. “You too, Jared. You may not have been aroun' here in years, but...I been keepin' up with you.”

“...sooo...” Jared has weakly wrapped one arm around his body, his other hand grabbing biceps. He nods his head as he won't wash away the smile that seems to be plastered on his face. It's been so long since he's felt this light and carefree, so happy and ecstatic with life. “...you know?”

May goes quiet, bowing her head and blinking slow to raise eyes to Jared's face. “...'bout Meghan? Your pack kickin' you out?...yes. That never stopp'd me from worrin' 'bout you.”

Jensen feels his eyes moisten, watching Jared react to hearing that someone from his past still cared about him. “I got him now, May.” He lifts his chin proudly to state a fact he's willing to admit. “If no one else wants him...I'll take him.”

“...thanks, Jen...” Jared softly snorts as he turns his back to drag over a mug.

Jensen knows Jared wants him to “kill” the discussion, so he begins moving toward Jared, while talking to his aunt. “Do you have any empty boxes we can use?”

“I think I do, in the attic...” May watches the interesting play between the two men. “...or maybe the basement.” She's stunned that when one weakens the other picks up the slack, then when the other goes quiet—-like Jared did, Jensen fills the air with a change of subject and he moves toward his mate to soothe and calm. “You gonna try to pack everything tonight?”

“...well...” Jensen takes a mug offered, then puts a hand to Jared's back to lightly scratch but with a gentle flow of fingertips. “...we'll get what we can done, from my room, until the coffee we've mainlined wears off, but...tomorrow, I need to return to the apartment. Most of my stuff...” He pauses when he sees May shaking her head. “What? Why do you say 'no'?”

Jared twists around, stuck in the corner of the counter-space, sipping at the freshly made coffee.

“uh, well...I may have asked them to help you out this one last time.” May uses her thumb to point toward the side of the house. “That U-Haul trailer in the driveway is all your things from the townhouse—-except your large furniture pieces.”

“...holy shit...” Jensen is blown away by how his aunt could've gotten his roommates to do anything resembling physical activity. “...May...why did you do that?”

“Because...I wanted to help...do something.” May has taken care of Jensen for this long, so why would she stop—-just because? “Your roommates are cheap labor, though. Two homemade pies and 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies.”

Jared busts out laughing, placing his mug down as he pulls Jensen to his chest. “...now I know what you're truly worth to me!”

“...get offa me, jerk!” Jensen uses his elbow to push off Jared. “...they probably smoked some weed beforehand, got the munchies.”

May averts her head, taking a hard swallow as she coughs to hide a smile. “hmm...I don't suppose I could borrow your Alpha's muscles for a brief time...”

“oh, well...tha's up to him.” Jensen glances over to Jared's chest, then reaches out to touch the solid wall of muscles. “...just...make sure to put them back where you found them.”

May throws a dishtowel at Jensen. “oh, you!” She goes to a random doorway, beside the fridge, then turns to face her nephew. “...head on upstairs to your room. I already left you some sturdy, empty boxes I found layin' aroun', here and there. uh...I can show Jared where I think a few might be in the basement. I don't know 'bout the attic. I haven't been up there in years.”

“I can check for you, May.” Jensen offers instantly.

Jared shakes his head. “No. Leave that to me.”

“What? I'm fully capable of—?” Jensen suddenly quiets as Jared places a palm over his belly. “...really? You think I'm a klutz and I'll hurt myself...?” He takes a hard swallow of bile, stunned by Jared's attention to a 'pup' so early on.

May can feel the pin-pricks of tears. Already Jared is protective of Jensen and the possibility of offspring. It warms her heart to see someone finally care so deeply for her nephew, someone who obviously love him...the way those hazel eyes bore into Jensen's face makes her shiver from the inside out.

“...it's more than just rickety stairs, Jen. Dust and mildew...not to mention what could be nesting there—-mice or birds...” Jared chuckles softly when he makes Jensen shake from the willies. He cups the nape, dipping low to take lips under his own in a solid kiss. “...only steps I let you climb will be ones that have a sturdy railing. And don't skip stairs, Jen, take every single one.”

Jensen smiles, shakes his head as he looks toward his aunt. “He knows exactly how to entrap me, getting me to obey his every command.”

“eh...” May lightly chuckles, noticing how her nephew sees no other way to obey when he's mesmerized by his own Alpha. “...you don't look like you mind much.”

“...no...no, I don't...because he does it for my own good.” Jensen drops his head, voice going hushed. “...because he loves me an' wants me safe...” He lifts his head to grin wide, glancing at Jared. “...the gruffer and monosyllabic-er the command, the more I know he loves me.” Jensen scrunches his face at May. “Weird, huh?” 

Jared snags Jensen around the neck to drag him close, burying his face in his hair.

May takes another hard swallow as it's clear to her the two mates have been intimate long enough to know each other very well, then able to understand how the other will treat them. “...c'mon, Jared...the laundry baskets won't carry themselves.” She leaves the door to the basement open.

Jensen swivels to wrap his arms high around Jared's neck. “...once we're truly alone, and settled in our room...I'm gonna need you.” He knows he doesn't have to stress the word because he can feel that Jared is much the same way.

“...you don't need me right now?” Jared teases with a lift to his lips at the corner.

“I do...I do...” Jensen leans his forehead against Jared's, sharing air between them. “...IdoIdoIdo, but...I think May wants to talk to you alone, in her not-so subtle way.”

“...hehehe...” Jared knew he hadn't lost his touch with being in May's presence. “...good, I've been getting the same vibe off her too.” He slowly pulls Jensen away to let him settle on his feet. “I'll try to be quick an' then I'll follow you upstairs...”

“...nonono...” Jensen shakes his head with a smirk on his lips. “May's giving us Robert's—-well, Bobby's room. My old childhood room used to be his old childhood room before he took over part of the basement—-the part that's furnished.” He can't help but smile wildly, thinking that there's no way they can be heard or seen if they stay in the basement bedroom. “May's giving us privacy and our own entrance.”

Jared furrows his brow. “I don't know that I've ever met Bobby. I think everybody simply thought Sandy was an only child. And then you...” He combs back Jensen's hair, watching it spike off the head. “...when she finally told us she had an older brother, we all thought he was—-you.”

“Bobby was, like, 7 or 8 when Sandy was born.” Jensen crosses arms to lean back on the counter to peer at Jared. “I liked it 'cuz by the time my mother kept dropping me off, I had a built-in babysitter. He was cool...older...very quiet, kept to himself. He and Sandy couldn't have been more opposite, but she adored him. Hell, worshiped him. I think for a while there she often wanted him to be her father...just 'cuz Bobby let her do whatever she wanted, took her everywhere he went. He gave her that fearlessness and independence that can make her seem...off-putting.” He's trying to be nice to his cousin, who hasn't been very nice or kind to him in years.

“A 'bitch'...you can say it to me. I'm not gonna tattle.”

Jensen snickers, patting Jared's chest. “I'll let you go before May bursts in here an' catches us in a compromising position.”

Jared snags Jensen back to undercup his chin, pining him to the cabinets and kissing him senseless. Jensen grapples for the thick forearms, riding up from the wrists and then he sinks into Jared's chest.

“...mmm...unfair...”

“I wanna see how we handle being in different places in the same house.” Jared pets Jensen's cheek. “The trailer doesn't give us much room...an' it spoils us when we visit actual homes of people we know.”

Jensen smirks, eyes fluttering as he clears his throat. “I miss it already.” He rubs his face against Jared's open hand. “I wish we were back there, finishing dinner, then crawling into bed to watch TV...then we could neck and kiss, eventually building up to foreplay and then—”

Jared slid four fingers through Jensen's hair to cup the whole head in his palm, bringing him in, swooping down for a long, hard passionate kiss. Every time Jensen makes a noise under breath, Jared munches harder, tongue trying to gain entrance to parted lips. Jensen lets out air through his nostrils as he feels his body go slack, his lips part and allows the tongue to invade, starting to tenderly gnaw on the tongue, his own hands diving into dark brown strands.

Jensen has to force himself to pull away in order to breathe. “...god...need you...”

Jared nudges the face, merging brows. “...soon, jen...that was only a mere taste of what's comin'...”

“mmm...startin' not to care if I upset May or not...”

“...I'll care for us both...it'd be rude to leave her waiting...” Jared holds Jensen at a distance, then keeps him by the shoulders to walk him to the kitchen doorway that'll lead him to the main staircase to the second floor. “If I don't see you, I'll come up to your room. I think I recall where it's located.”

“...no...stay-stay down there or here. I'll just look over everything quickly and be right down...we can, uh...stay in bed for a while, get up when we feel like it to start packing and boxing things up.”

“...okay, Jensen...” Jared watches his mate wander off, kind of hesitant in glancing back before he trails behind May. As he stands at the top landing, he sees the few steps that reach the large slab cement area of the washer and dryer before the basement stairs continue on. He glances around. “Nifty. The basement was always like this?”

“No...well, not this portion.” May makes a mild motion toward the wall behind Jared. “That cinderblock wall behind you used to be a door to the outdoors. This area was more of a, uh...mud room, coming off the detached garage. I can't remember what made us bring the laundry room up here to this level, then close off the door.” She murmurs underbreath as she shakes out pieces of clothing. “Kinda wished I still had that opening sometimes.” May slams the dryer door shut.

Jared slaps palms together. “...'kay!...where're the baskets you need me to haul upstairs for you?”

May uses her slippered feet to kick over the two full ones as she resets the dryer for another ten minutes. “I only need them brought to the kitchen, so I can fold them.”

Jared puts one basket on top of the other. “Need help folding?”

“Boy...” May shakes her head. “...ahhh...did Jensen tell you I wanted to get you alone to chatter?”

“....yeah, but I kinda figured it out on my own too.”

May shuffles away from the dryer, patting Jared on the back gently. “You go up first, hon'...my ankles are swellin' and feet are getting' sore...it's gonna take me a few more minutes to get my bearings 'fore I can get up them steps.”

“Stay here. I'll be back.” Jared dashes up the steps with both baskets, then returns to secure one arm around May's portly waist. “I suggest you hold onto my neck, Aunt May...”

“...oh, christ, boy...” May feels a bit of shame, hiding her face in Jared dark locks. “...I wasn't tryin' to git you to pity me...” She doesn't know what to do when Jared bends to plop her on her feet in her kitchen, safe and sound, like she was light as a feather. “I know it's only 6 or 7 steps, but some days i's like I don't even go down 'cuz I don't know if I can make it back up.” May gestures to the front foyer of the house. “I try to spare all my energy to get up the main stairs.”

Jared holds out a chair to get May to sit. Once she does, he turns her to face the other chair beside her, so he can sit and pick up her feet.

May tries to pull down the hem of her dressing gown, though it's well-past her knees. “If I didn't know you, I'd say you were tryin' to kiss my ass.”

Jared laughs outright, throwing his head back. “Probably. But I used to do this for my mother when she carried Megs.” He puts each ankle on one flattened thigh, then takes off her slippers; he uses both hands to rub at the swollen ankles and over the rough-soled feet. “...thought my mom would've birthed us an elephant...but Meghan was so tiny...under 7 pounds.”

May leans back in some pain, never having anyone around to rub her sore feet. “You're thinkin' 'bout her a lot...'cuz of Jen?”

“How could I forget?” Jared lifts both eyebrows, then goes on to explain, “...both Omega...one fearing he'll die because of his heat, the other unaware she'll end up dying because of her heat...”

“Such a sad, sad turn of events...that I'm not sure any pack member could've survived and live on like you have.”

“Have I?” Jared squints his gaze on May. “Truly lived?”

“You grieved the only way you knew how.” May narrows her gaze, aware that Jared hasn't had many people around him to do this kind of talking with. She's not here just to give them sage advice on mating or knotting...she's here for the personal and private issues as well. “No one would've begrudged you the right to channel your pain somewhere.” May swishes her head from side to side, knowing the Alpha's aware he was on the wrong track at first, but managed to get settled once he realized he was letting grief eat away at him. “All right, not the best outlet, but...you'd've never found out how much compassion you still had. That your sister's sweetness and grace lived on inside you.” She glances down, then back up as she tilts her head. “So many of us thought you'd pack things and go, never come back. None of us expected you to stay, refocus yourself and do some good around town. There's a lot of us old timers who feared findin' your obituary in the papers the next day. Thought you were walkin' the edge of insanity, but then you...” May touches her chest, then directs her hand outward. “...you used what was left inside you to save runaway packs. Now that...told us you were on your way to healing.”

Jared keeps silent, massaging as he replays his memories. “I saved countless of Omegas, brought 'em back home.” He wants May to know why it was so easy to step up to the plate and tend to Jensen. “If I found out they had hit their second heats...and this was why they ran, I'd drop them off an' bail. But soon I started stickin' around more, until I actually sat through a pack's claiming and eventual mating of the Omega...” Jared lets out a small grin, sliding a hand over his cheek and neck. “...it was everything Meg thought it would've been. Or maybe it was obvious to only me how adored this Omega had been by her Alpha and the rest of the pack.”

May nods her head, finally coming to an understanding about who Jared was. “...you saw an opportunity when you heard 'bout Jen?”

“Fate does funny things sometimes. I've been...pining lately. Not for particulars, just a mate. Wishing I had taken one before I left pack.”

“We thought you would've. What happened there?” May arcs one eyebrow in question, trying to recall the young female Beta who Jared had run around with.

Jared smirks as he shakes his head; he would rather forget that travesty, mainly because his fantasy of the female Beta had burst so suddenly. “I had started seeing her before Meg's accident.” Jared had met her in college, then she had come out to visit him in his “hick, backwoods” town; her words, not his. “I adored my sister...she 'tolerated' Meg for my sake—-the usual stereotypical Beta to Omega dynamic. Then Meg was found, brought to the hospital and I was told...rather chillingly to 'cut my ties'...that my sister already had an Alpha...”

May thinks she recalls an image of the Beta who had broken Jared's heart. “And that Alpha proceeded to leave...”

“Exactly.” Jared nods in agreement, then lifts an eyebrow to work on the second foot on his lap. “She tried convincing me a nursing home or, uh...hospice might handle Meg's care better.” He stares at May, hoping she understands why he did what he did for his sister. “My one fear, out of everything—-even with Meg in a coma...was her being alone...no family around, no pack by her side...”

“...oh, jesus, boy...” May reaches for a napkin to dab at her eyes, her over-emotional state coming into play now with Jared. The older Alpha had always left a soft spot in her heart—-so strong and confident, then to have such a tragedy befall him. “...you were a true prince among jackasses...”

Jared takes the comment in stride, releasing a smile. “I couldn't stop thinkin' how cruelly ironic that was. Most of the Omegas I knew feared their second heats. But Meg...” His voice always changes tone when he talks about how Meghan had been with taking everything that made her Omega with a constant passion. “...she embraced it, she's the other reason why I knew how to care for Jensen...let him stop being so scared of what he is...to understand his body.” Jared quickly wipes over his own lids, but softly smirks. “He has an innocence about him that draws me in...” He wonders if May knows just how innocent and naïve her nephew still is, despite having run with an outside pack. “...and a willingness to learn an' be taught.”

“He trusts you...” May nods her head as she's aware of how Jared manages to subtly control Jensen's manners and gets him to quickly obey without a struggle or a battle of words. “...respects your opinion. Sometimes that's even better than love.” She actually admires this Alpha because not a lot of people could tolerate her nephew, not having known him before he tried to turn bad. “Love can grow fuller, richer from positive feelings for someone.”

Jared averts his head, hiding an easy smile at this thought. “I'm hoping he's carrying soon. Besides pining for a mate...I've been—-literally aching for a 'pup'.” He's not going to bother looking at May because he's not certain if she's ready to know that he's this committed to Jensen. Yeah, he's here to bring Jensen home with him to the trailer, but he's not sure she's focusing on the fact that they've spent all this time alone...mating and knotting. “Not even a specific to boy or girl...I just need that...” Jared makes a fist, not sure how to word what he feels.

“nah, no...” May brushes away Jared's need to find words; she's understanding more than he thinks she is. “I think I know what you mean. It's natural when you find that mate to want to show your love, put it on display...let everyone who cares know you're alive.”

“yes...” Jared leans his head to a shoulder. “...sometimes it's that.” He puts down May's second foot, now he's just holding the ankles to his thighs, soothing up the skin of the calves. “Other times it's a feeling...a need to live on in someone else. Finding a natural bond or connection again to something lost.” Jared shakes his head to sit up straighter as he's begun to slouch. He doesn't know why but he turns to look over his shoulder—-it's the doorway he had sent Jensen through. “I don't want a clone of Meghan...I just...I guess I want to feel her presence around me again.”

“She kept you alive...” May bends an elbow to rest her head on the hand, having to look away because she knows exactly what Jared is talking about. “...or wanting to do good...being a decent man...a good Alpha an' a worthy mate.”

Jared bows his head. “She the one who helped me find my truth.” He laughs at himself, like he can still hear Meghan rip into him why he's conforming and not going with what his heart felt. “That I was following other Alphas and searching for mates in a proper fashion...males to females. She encouraged me to open my mind, and my heart, wider to other viable mates—-in Betas and Omegas. I couldn't help but bend toward Omegas, for some reason.”

“You bent right t'ward Jen, didn't you?” May is finding out this thing between Jared and Jensen goes back years, not just in this instance of time. It's actually rather sweet and quite a love?story unfolding.

Jared goes quiet and stiff. “He's an Omega I had been close to that wasn't related or with another pack member.” He squints to look at May, quirking up one side of his mouth. “I remember being intimidated by him, almost nervous.”

“What?! But he's so...” May shakes her head in dismay, not sure she knows exactly why Jared would feel intimidation by Jensen when he was older and Alpha. “...not how he's perceived.”

“hehehe...” Jared shrugs, nodding his head in agreement. “I realize that now. I let myself be influenced by Sandy, quickly finding I should backtrack and form my own opinion.”

May lets her face go expressionless; she's not sure she likes what she hears about her daughter when it comes to Jensen. “And?” She removes her hand to show her wide smile.

“I think this might've been when he was in college...with the professor...” Jared explains the time that he had taken an interest in Jensen that went beyond just simple acquaintances or knowing the same pack members. 

“oh, yeah...uh-huh...” May nods her head, shaking her head from side to side to reach her shoulders as she has so much more to say about that relationship. “...nice guy, but completely wrong for Jen. An' not because he was human.” She would love to share odd stories about this human, just how intolerable he was...even at her dinner table. “He had this strange way 'bout him...curbing Jen's nature and tryin' to tame certain things that made him the Jen I love. Even in public settings.” May throws a hand into mid-air, showing how it was out of her hands at that point; Jensen thought he was in love and no one could change his mind. “I tried to warn the boy, but then...he fell hard, then had to learn on his own.”

“I started seeing men, but on the sly. Like it was a dirty secret And to everyone else I was still going out with females, sometimes havin' sex but no knotting.” Jared blinks, sighs and continues on. “It was almost a year later I saw Jensen again...Meghan was with me...she saw how well we had known of one another and she swore to me, she could detect something flashing in Jensen's eyes...I don't know...like he might have been sending me signals and I was utterly clueless.”

“And now...” May is way-too pleased, and giddy, with how far the two men have come to find one another. “...look at you two.”

“...yeah...” Jared drops his chin, feeling a blush spread across his face; it's been too long since he's been around a motherly figure. “I feel stupid that he's been right here all this time. Like you said, to look at him you'd think he'd be one way, but...god, he's more than perfect for me 'cuz he's starving. Starving to give love and to be loved.” He smiles toward May as he looks over his shoulder again, then at the clock on the wall. “In a strange way, I'd like to 'thank' Jen's mother...right before I kick her in the shins.”

May starts chuckling crazily, because she will pay good money to see this hulking Alpha kick the shins of her older sister. “You an' me both, kid. Although, I think I tend to wanna shake her more.” She looks at Jared tentatively. “...so he's told you 'bout her?”

Jared shrugs, then brings up a hand to swish from side to side. “Here and there, but I'm not dumb. I don't need the picture drawn in details to know he's beyond hurt and still hurting. Especially now at this kind of time in his life.” He's happier that Jensen has May to turn to than anything; he's going to do his utmost—-as Jensen's family now—-to make sure this woman wants for nothing nor has to worry none about her nephew.

May bites at her thumbnail. “Jen's never really spoken about her, or about needing her if he ever mated and carried a 'pup'.” She wishes he had, but then again, maybe it's better that Jensen simply work from pure instinct about how to be a mother Omega to his offspring. May is already assured their father Alpha will be more than willing to help out. “I guess he assumes she's just not gonna be interested enough to show her face—-like she hasn't done for the last ten years of his life. “Almost assured she stopped caring when she left him with me.”

Jared works his mouth in frustration, wishing he could agitate himself more, but he's too caught up in keeping the past where it lay. “...the siblings of Jen's...” This is another reason to come stay with May for a few days, to simply learn a bit more about Jensen that he may not know. “...are they all right? Do they even know, or care, where he is? What he's doing?”

“oh, I'll hear from Josh every couple o'months.” May waves her hand as thought it's not much of a call to be anything important. “Mackenzie's the one who calls, like on holidays and birthdays, or just once a month. They ask in passing, but there's no true interest, or love lost. They both had their Daddies who took them in, while Jens was stuck with her. I wished she had let me have him sooner, not when he started acting out...and she couldn't, or wouldn't, handle him any longer.” She shakes her head in deep sadness, thankful that she has someone to confide in about Jensen who will understand and take her words to heart. “...god, he was such a wounded and angry 'cub'. I couldn't cuddle him like I used to. Donna had made him not even want hugs or kisses. She stripped him of everything and he craved affection so much, just a little attention. I did the best I could 'cuz my mate had just passed on, then Bobby finally moved out—-well, gosh...permanently moved away...then poor Sandra...my little baby girl just...losing both of those men in her life, and tryin' to cope with her own, eventual heat after Jen's...she breathed a sigh of relief to learn she was Beta. She hated watchin' Jen suffer like he did. I almost think she prepared to lose him too.”

Jared nods his head. “By the time I had met Sandy, she would bring Jen with her everywhere. I could tell things had become strained between them. Sandy flirted quite easily, while Jen...” He's sure he doesn't have to tell May what she could see for herself. “Jensen was even striking at 14, just out of his first heat. I don't know...he struck a chord in me, like with Meghan. I felt awful for him, so I...I guess I broke our clique's ranks when I went over to talk to him...” Jared recalls the exact moment he broke some kind of protocol with the popular pack and stepped into Jensen's personal space. “...we were at the swimming hole—-tha's not here anymore—-during the summer...” It wasn't much that he did for Jensen but everyone continued to rag on him about crushing on an Omega. “I just gave him a towel...”

“oh, yeah, yeah...” May knows the swimming hole Jared talks about. “I used to bring the kids there every weekend, in the summer, when they were 'pups', and then during the hottest days of the year.” She lets out a small grin, lifting a curious eyebrow high. “So...14, huh? And you were...?” May could never quite grasp Jared's age because he tended to act mature despite his youth—-the one pack out of a line of 'cubs' who actually still respected his elders. 

“16—-just turned 16, lookin' forward to 17 in a hurry...” Jared rubs his palms together, giving off a light laugh at himself. “...kind of growing into my own body—-my own Alpha-ness. This was before my asshole phase.”

“eh, you were always a good 'cub' aroun' me.” May recalls how much she had grown to like this Alpha around Sandra's friends, not understanding why her daughter didn't pounce when she had the chance. “But I did think you liked Sandra 'cuz you all hung out a lot. It got hard to tell who was seein' who as you just clumped together.” The one thing she does remember is Jensen being stuck in his room, door closed and afraid to come out with all the rowdiness and fearing the rude comments and cat-calls because of his heat and scent...how “pretty” and “beautiful” he was for an Omega. “Poor Jen...always on the outside lookin' in.”

“I still watch'd out for him.” Jared wants May to know that Jensen wasn't always alone. He made every effort to befriend Jensen, but he was way-too awkward—-well, they both were. “Don't know why I made that choice, since Sandy and I weren't in the same circles as much once I graduated.”

“I think that mighta been when James was aroun' more, sniffing after my little girl.”

Jared shrugs, furrowing his brow as he recalls how odd James had begun to act with him. “I always got the feeling James thought, since we were best friends, he didn't want to break some bro-Alpha code. So he waited until I went out-of-state to college to make his move.”

“...you never graduated...” May is just realizing that for the first time. She had forgotten Jared had left for college to greener pastures.

“Nope.” Jared doesn't regret it; he's too comfortable in what he does now for a career, and he knows he's very good at it. “2 years is all I did, and then I came back to help raise Megs...”

“Did one of your parents die?”

“nah...they just—-I don't know...” Jared frowns as he's always wondered how to explain what happened with his parents. “...how do fated mates part ways and separate amicably?” He gives off a one arm shrug. “Jeff was gone off with his own pack. Mom really needed support since Dad left.”

“...god...” May doesn't know if that's any better than her own situation with her Alpha and their 'pups', how she stayed despite the difficulties and they both grew into caring and loving one another at different stages. “...soun's like a bunch of craziness...” It's why she's butting heads with Sandra over this “offspring” issue in her daughter's own relationship with her Alpha. May doesn't know why Sandra just won't stop taking her suppressants and birth control, just give over to her Alpha, instead of bothering with an Omega who just might create a rift Sandra wasn't expecting. 

“It does, doesn't it? And here we all are...” Jared holds out hands, unable to explain it. 

May pulls her feet off Jared's lap, reaching over to pat his hands. “...go, boy...go upstairs an' put an end to your silent misery.”

Jared raises his eyes to the clock again, then gives one last look over his shoulder...sure he thought he heard noises on the stairs. “Is it obvious on me?”

“Yes, but it's a quick comfort.” May soothes down the dark-haired forearm, wishing she and Jared could talk again like this. She doesn't have as good of a bond with James that she would wish. “I've always been scared of what'd happen to Jen if I got sick or passed on. It takes a rare breed of pack to love an' understand that 'cub'.”

Jared stands, leaning over to kiss the crown of May's head. “You're gonna outlive all of us...forced to 'pup'- and 'cub'-sit...” He expertly escapes May's reach to hide behind her chair, then comes up to her and gives a tight attack-hug, then bolts from the kitchen.

“I know where you sleep, Padalecki!”

“Love you too, Aunt May!!” Jared takes the main staircase two at a time to get to the second floor. He knows which room to head toward, recalling those days he and Jensen would hang out here with Sandy and the other pack 'cubs' their age. He even remembers the moment he bothered giving Jensen a second and third glance. The distant memory would've filled his head if he hadn't heard the sound of sniffles and muttered talking. He wrinkles his brow, knocks to then open the door. “I was gonna bring our bags to the basement, but I couldn't help feelin—” He stops when Jensen twists from the window he's standing in front of, holding his arms wide as his face tries not to crumble. “...holy—-mother of—...” Jared hurries to snatch his mate into both arms, lifting him high off the floor and pushing a hand into the back of Jensen's head. “...oh lord...ssshhh...I got you, man...I got you now...i's jus' me...I'm here...” He soothes his hand along Jensen's sides, kissing any skin he can find. “...tell me who hurt you...my firearm is under my driver's seat in the truck. I'll fire off a few warning rounds before I attack.”

Jensen wiggles down to plant his feet, chuckling as he hands Jared the collection of torn envelopes and folded letters. “I tell myself I don't care, then I read this and it's like I'm back in that old life with her, hating her...myself...an' everything around me.” He lets Jared take his hand as they sit on the twin mattress at the same time. Jensen relaxes against Jared's side, feeling the left arm hook around to hold him so he sits on the left thigh; Jensen finger-combs through brown locks and twists around the blunt ends

Jared speed reads through the letter written directly from Donna to her son, then the one from Donna to her younger sister, May. “Well...” He grunts out a few heavy breathes, averting his head from Jensen's view. “...lovely of her to tell her sister how to deal with you once you've opened the letter addressed to you.” Jared coughs into his hand as he lifts his head to connect with Jensen's watery green eyes. “...thank god May seems to be done with all this secondhand bullshit.” He folds the letters to stuff them back into their envelopes. Jared lays his head on Jensen's body, kissing the clothing as he murmurs, “...well, what was your initial reaction?”

“Not to open them. Burn them to cinder.”

Jared puts Jensen down on the bed, then starts ripping them in their envelopes. He's waiting for Jensen to stop him.

Jensen simply sits there, shaking his head as he touches his chest to stop his heart from beating right out of his chest. “Am I a bad son for being so indifferent? To just not caring anymore?”

“No.” Jared shows Jensen the torn pieces, then pockets them to burn later, getting rid of them without Jensen knowing where he put them. “How many chances do we give anyone to do it right the first time?”

Jensen smiles, bouncing off the mattress to wipe at his eyes as he loops arms about Jared's neck and shoulders. “...know what I was thinking?” He's feeling like Jared does—-time to move on and forget the past, can't change it...it's imperative to focus on the present and future.

Jared nods his head as he secures arms low around Jensen's waist. “...yes...in case the head-nod wasn't clear enough.”

Jensen snorts out a laugh, not sure what he's feeling now since he went from zero to sixty in under a second of seeing Jared's face come toward him. He can't help but remember all those times Jared came into his room, saving him from self-imposed misery. “I think I looked at you different once you made an effort to come talk to me on your own without the guise of looking like you took pity on the poor scattered Omega.”

“I liked your room.” Jared nods as he twists his head around to look about the familiar space. “I still do.” He lifts Jensen a bit to bring him toward his body. “I like it even more when you're in it.”

“...mmm...” Jensen nudges his face into Jared's breathing space, rubbing their cheeks together. “...you looked so fuckin' hot all stretched out on my Twin bed...” He lightly scratches at the corner of one of his eyebrows. “I popped so many boners without you being aware.”

“...oh, I was aware...” Jared pulls Jensen's hips closer, soothing groin against groin, both of them feeling the pull and draw of one another. “I could sense you...you have a subtle shift in scent when aroused...”

“I do? Even now?” Jensen quirks up an eyebrow in mild curiosity.

Jared nods his head as he looks down into Jensen's smiling face despite the tracks of moisture down his skin. “...yeah, even now...” He brings up hands to wipe the face dry.

Jensen averts his eyes rather bashfully. “So I guess you really do know what I have been thinking...”

“Why do you think I came up to check on you?” Jared holds Jensen tight to his frame, then back-walks them toward the old twin bed. “Instead of taking our bags to the basement?”

“...god, I'd love it if we made a 'pup' in this room...” Jensen doesn't want to lay on the mattress quite yet, he'd love to just climb all over his Alpha and take him again like he had during their bath this afternoon. “...or at least knotted in every nook-n-cranny possible to assure...you know, that your seeds like my ovum...”

“Why not?” Jared shrugs both shoulders in nonchalance. “Everything else 'bout me likes everything 'bout you.”

“...lock the door...” Jensen utters as he tries to swipe away Jared's hands on him, trying to take off his clothes.

“...no...you lock it.” Jared dips in to suckle the neck, pulling at bottom hems of shirts. “I'm not ashamed of how I feel about you...an' May's no dummy.” He still draws backward to stare down at Jensen with a raised eyebrow. “I didn't just give her two baskets of laundry to fold for her to turn tail and chase up here to knock this door down.”

“Can we just, uhm...” Jensen is trying to leave the circle of Jared's arms so he can go shut the door if Jared refuses to. “...close it a little, so we don't make so much noise?”

“...jesus, Jen...” Jared holds Jensen around the waist then sets him out of his way so he can go do something to the door to appease his mate's worry.

Jensen softly punches Jared in the arm. “Stop laughing at me!” He slowly paces behind Jared as he makes his way across the floor. “I've never brought a guy home before...okay? Sandy was the one May always watched out for...eh, well so did I as her room was just opposite mine—-here, I mean...” Jensen points to a door Jared stands in front of that's not the one from the direction of the hallway. “...right there along that wall over there.”

“Is that door a closet?” Jared points over his shoulder as he makes his way in a quickstep toward Jensen.

“...no, it opens right into—-no...oh, nononono...Hell no!” Jensen squeals with laughter as he's swung into Jared's arms. “...no, Jay!...c'mon, man...” He weakly drapes himself in his mate's arms, not sure he wants to be treated this delicately. “I'm not...soiling the innocence of Sandy's bedroom just to—-” Jensen doesn't know why he's complaining. Sandy has the bigger room and a Queen-sized bed. He covers a hand over his eyes. “Get me before I fuckin' puke.”

As Jared reaches the door in question, he adjusts Jensen to get his arm down and help out. “I need you to turn the knob for me, Jen.”

Jensen blindly reaches out to turn it and pushes in. “...oh, god...now Sandy's really gonna kill me dead.”

Jared smirks and tosses Jensen gently to land on one of the two bean-bag chairs to the right of the room, stuck in the corner of the bookcase-lined walls that also hold a nice old school stereo unit. “Awesome!” Jared shuffles his shoes on the long white shags of carpet fibers. “She still has the shag carpeting too.”

“yeah...” Jensen wobbles on elbows to stop slouching. He's never liked these bean-bag chairs because he could never get out of them with any swagger. “...whodda thunk she'd wig out so much on the whole Austin Powers craze.”

Jared unties the laces of his boots as he nears the larger bed and reaches out to touch the dark furry comforter. “Is this real mink?”

“no...faux...” Jensen is beginning to deep breathe and feel his heart race. He gestures his head toward her packed closet of old clothes behind the sliding mirrored doors. “...like most of the fur in this room and still in her closet.”

Jared keeps petting the cover. “I kinda wanna see you sprawled over this—” He twists around to loom above his mate, staring down at him spread over the squishy beanbags inside the faux leather. “—what do you think?”

“I really don't care. I just want your knot in me soon.”

Jared sniffs the air, smiling wider. “...it's like pine...or an outdoorsy scent...”

“...what? My arousal odor?”

Jared spins around to plop down into the other bean-bag chair. He reaches out to stretch his arm onto Jensen's space, soothing fingers over an arm. “We'll start in here, work our way into your room.”

Jensen doesn't know how to react, but he knows what his mind and body want to do—-need to do. “...jay...”

“hmm...”

Jensen rolls out to land on his knees, then waddles to straddle Jared's waist; he sighs and burrows into Jared's chest wall as he lounges. “...thank you...” He's trying hard to fit the words “I love you” in his mouth, but he's still feeling so much all at once. He's been wrong before and had his heart served to him.

“For what?” Jared chuckles deep within his belly.

“...my life...this life—-with you...for never giving up on me...for endless second chances to finally get it right.” Jensen crawls up to tuck his face away.

“...jesus, jen...” Jared leans his head on Jensen's cheek to whisper in an ear. It's not the true reply he's been waiting for but he'll take anything at this point. “...like I didn't already love you enough...”

Jensen situates himself to hover. “...love me more—-always...” He dips low to kiss, nudge their noses together and skim lips again and again.

“I will.” Jared nods his head, eyes intensely staring into green ones looking back at him wide and hopeful. “I promise.”

Jensen starts undoing Jared's clothes, wanting to lift up hems, but he just begins pulling on the belt to open the jeans. Jared can tell how hungry Jensen is for his knot so he raises his hips to work down briefs and denim. Jensen moves away to take off his own pants and underwear, back to straddling as he guides the cocktip inside, slamming down to feel his hole suction around the swelling knot.

“...ohgod, jen...fuuuck!...” Jared pumps into the rectum, sucking in a breath between clenched teeth.

Jensen grabs onto shoulders, kissing the hands that falter to touch and caress him. He rides the sensation of the knot, feeling his thighs start to quiver and his wall contract around the length inside him. He hooks a hand at Jared's nape, green eyes intent on hazel. “...knot me, alpha...gimme your seed...an' breed me with your 'pup'...” Jensen leans forward, raising his ass high as his womb open to spew lubrication; Jared roots around with a frenzy to sink deeper. Jensen cries out with a choked sob as he feels the painful breach of his second hole and the warmth fills him, his mate entering his knot inside him. “...oh fuck, oh fuck...fuck me...yeah, yeah, yeah...” Jensen pounds against the hips and arcs his back to then collapse on top of his Alpha's chest.

Jared holds onto Jensen as he relaxes limply on his body. “...when I stop shaking or feel my legs aren't Jello anymore, I'm takin' you on that faux mink...”

“mmm...” Jensen chuckles deeply, his stomach brushes against Jared's flat abs. “If I end up liking it, I'm gonna steal it. I hope you know you're turning me to a life of petty crimes.”

Jared bangs a hand in the air like he just sent down a judge's approval with an imaginary gavel. “I'll sentence you to 'life' cuffed to my side, living in camp with me.” He sends a row of kisses down a cheek. “Is that punishment enough?”

“...nope...” Jensen grapples his fingers heavily into Jared, pretty sure, now more than ever, that his affections will grow into a deep sense of love and darker desire. “...soun's like paradise, actually...but I'll take it with no complaints and serve my time.”

==&&==&&==&&==

The day Jared and Jensen finally leave Aunt May's there is a suspicious large bulge in one of their bags. 

Aunt May never says a word, just puts down another new faux mink comforter on the mattress, from the linen closet, and leaves her daughter's bedroom.

**the end...**


End file.
